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R Tkacova

Publications and source records attributed to R Tkacova.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Refractory hypertension and sleep apnoea: effect of CPAP on blood pressure and baroreflex.

This study was undertaken to determine whether abolition of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) could reduce blood pressure (BP) in patients with refractory hypertension. In 11 refractory hypertensive patients with OSA, the acute effects of CPAP on nocturnal BP were studied during sleep and its longer term effects on 24-h ambulatory BP after 2 months. During a single night's application, CPAP abolished OSA and reduced systolic BP in stage 2 sleep from 138.3 +/- 6.8 to 126.0 +/- 6.3 mmHg. There was also a trend towards a reduction in average diastolic BP (from 77.7 +/- 4.5 to 72.9 +/- 4.5). CPAP usage for 2 months was accompanied by an 11.0 +/- 4.4 mmHg reduction in 24-h systolic BP. In addition, both the nocturnal and daytime components of systolic BP fell significantly by 14.4 +/- 4.4 and 9.3 +/- 3.9 mmHg, respectively. Diastolic BP was reduced significantly at night by 7.8 +/- 3.0 mmHg. In patients with refractory hypertension, acute abolition of obstructive sleep apnoea by continuous positive airway pressure reduces nocturnal blood pressure. These data also suggest that continuous positive airway pressure may reduce nocturnal and daytime systolic blood pressure chronically. Randomised trials are needed to confirm the latter results.

Adult↗

Overnight shift from obstructive to central apneas in patients with heart failure: role of PCO2 and circulatory delay.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA) can coexist in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). However, the reason why OSA events occur at one time and CSA events at another has not been determined. We hypothesized that a change in PCO(2) would be associated with an alteration in apnea type: a decrease in PCO(2) should lead to CSA. METHODS AND RESULTS: To test this hypothesis, we evaluated minute ventilation (V(I)), transcutaneous PCO(2) (PtcCO(2)), circulation time, and periodic breathing cycle length during overnight polysomnography in 12 patients with CHF and coexisting OSA and CSA. V(I) was significantly greater (mean+/-SEM, 9.4+/-1.3 versus 8.0+/-0.9 L/min; P:<0.05) and PtcCO(2) was lower (39.4+/-1.0 versus 41.9+/-1.1 mm Hg, P:<0.01) during episodes of CSA than of OSA. These changes were associated with significant lengthening of circulation time (23.6+/-3.7 versus 21.1+/-3.6 seconds, P:<0.01) and periodic breathing cycle length (53.7+/-3.5 versus 49.6+/-2.9 seconds, P:<0.01). In addition, the proportion of obstructive events decreased (from 68.5+/-11.4% to 22.5+/-7.2%, P:<0.001) and of CSA events increased (from 31.5+/-11.4% to 77.5+/-7.2%, P:<0.001) from the first to the last quarter of the night in association with a significant decrease in PtcCO(2) (from 42.6+/-0.9 to 40.8+/-0.9 mm Hg, P:<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with CHF, the shift from OSA to CSA is associated with a reduction in PCO(2). This appears to be related to an overnight deterioration in cardiac function as suggested by the concurrent lengthening of circulation time. Therefore, in CHF patients, alterations in cardiac function may influence apnea type.

Blood Circulation↗

High prevalence of unrecognized sleep apnoea in drug-resistant hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in adult patients with drug-resistant hypertension, a common problem in a tertiary care facility. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: University hypertension clinic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Adults with drug-resistant hypertension, defined as a clinic blood pressure of > or = 140/90 mmHg, while taking a sensible combination of three or more antihypertensive drugs, titrated to maximally recommended doses. Each of the 41 participants completed an overnight polysomnographic study and all but two had a 24 h ambulatory blood pressure measurement. RESULTS: Prevalence of OSA, defined as an apnoea-hypopnoea index of > or = 10 obstructive events per hour of sleep, was 83% in the 24 men and 17 women studied. Patients were generally late middle-aged (57.2 +/- 1.6 years, mean +/- SE), predominantly white (85%), obese (body mass index, 34.0 +/- 0.9 kg/m2) and taking a mean of 3.6 +/- 0.1 different antihypertensive medications daily. OSA was more prevalent in men than in women (96 versus 65%, P = 0.014) and more severe (mean apnoea-hypopnoea index of 32.2 +/- 4.5 versus 14.0 +/- 3.1 events/h, P = 0.004). There was no gender difference in body mass index or age. Women with OSA were significantly older and had a higher systolic blood pressure, lower diastolic blood pressure, wider pulse pressure and slower heart rate than women without OSA. CONCLUSIONS: The extraordinarily high prevalence of OSA in these patients supports its potential role in the pathogenesis of drug-resistant hypertension, and justifies the undertaking of a randomized controlled trial to corroborate this hypothesis.

Adult↗

Continuous positive airway pressure improves nocturnal baroreflex sensitivity of patients with heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the acute effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (BRS) for heart rate during sleep in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). DESIGN AND METHODS: In eight CHF patients with OSA not previously treated with CPAP, spontaneous BRS was assessed during overnight polysomnography prior to the onset of sleep, and during stage 2 non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) before, during and after application of CPAP. RESULTS: CPAP alleviated OSA and acutely increased the slope of BRS (median, 25%,75%) [from 3.9 (3.5, 4.8) to 6.2 (4.6, 26.2) ms/mmHg, P<0.05]. Increases in the slope of BRS persisted following withdrawal of CPAP [4.9 (4.3, 6.9) ms/mmHg, P<0.05]. CPAP also lowered heart rate (from 81.3 +/- 4.9 to 76.0 +/- 5.7 bpm, P< 0.05), an effect which persisted after its withdrawal (76.7 +/- 5.7 bpm, P < 0.05). Systolic blood pressure at the midpoint of the pressure range of BRS sequences fell while on CPAP (from 139 +/- 8 to 120 +/- 7 mmHg, P < 0.05), and remained lower following CPAP withdrawal (124 +/- 9 mmHg, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In CHF patients with OSA, CPAP increases acutely BRS during sleep, lowers heart rate and resets the operating point for BRS to a lower blood pressure. These effects of CPAP persist after its withdrawal, suggesting that nocturnal CPAP therapy may cause sustained improvement in the neural control of heart rate.

Adult↗

Effects of continuous positive airway pressure on obstructive sleep apnea and left ventricular afterload in patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on blood pressure (BP) and systolic left ventricular transmural pressure (LVPtm) during sleep in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In CHF patients with OSA, chronic nightly CPAP treatment abolishes OSA and improves left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction. We hypothesized that one mechanism whereby CPAP improves cardiac function in CHF patients with OSA is by lowering LV afterload during sleep. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eight pharmacologically treated CHF patients with OSA were studied during overnight polysomnography. BP and esophageal pressure (Pes) (ie, intrathoracic pressure) were recorded before the onset of sleep and during stage 2 non-rapid eye movement sleep before, during, and after CPAP application. OSA was associated with an increase in systolic BP (from 120.4+/-7.8 to 131.8+/-10.6 mm Hg, P<0.05) and systolic LVPtm (from 124.4+/-7.7 to 137.2+/-10.8 mm Hg, P<0.05) from wakefulness to stage 2 sleep. CPAP alleviated OSA, improved oxyhemoglobin saturation, and reduced systolic BP in stage 2 sleep to 115.4+/-8.5 mm Hg (P<0.01), systolic LVPtm to 117.4+/-8.5 mm Hg (P<0.01), heart rate, Pes amplitude, and respiratory rate. CONCLUSIONS: In CHF patients with OSA, LV afterload increases from wakefulness to stage 2 sleep. By alleviating OSA, CPAP reduces LV afterload and heart rate, unloads inspiratory muscles, and improves arterial oxygenation during stage 2 sleep. CPAP is a nonpharmacological means of further reducing afterload and heart rate during sleep in pharmacologically treated CHF patients with OSA.

Adult↗

Effect of continuous positive airway pressure on mitral regurgitant fraction and atrial natriuretic peptide in patients with heart failure.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine the effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on mitral regurgitant fraction (MRF) and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentration in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). BACKGROUND: In patients with CHF, elevated plasma ANP concentration is associated with elevated cardiac filling pressures. Secondary mitral regurgitation may contribute to elevation in plasma ANP concentration in patients with CHF. Because CPAP reduces transmural cardiac pressures and left ventricular (LV) volume, we hypothesized that long-term CPAP application would decrease the MRF and plasma ANP concentration in patients with CHF and Cheyne-Stokes respiration with central sleep apnea (CSR-CSA). METHODS: Seventeen patients with CHF and CSR-CSA underwent baseline assessments of plasma ANP concentration and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and MRF by radionuclide angiography. They were then randomized to receive nocturnal CPAP plus optimal medical therapy (n = 9) or optimal medical therapy alone (n = 8) for 3 months and were then reassessed. RESULTS: In the CPAP-treated group, LVEF increased from (mean +/-SEM) 20.2 +/- 4.2% to 28.2 +/- 5.3% (p < 0.02); MRF decreased from 32.8 +/- 7.7% to 19.4 +/- 5.5% (p < 0.02); and plasma ANP concentration decreased from 140.9 +/- 20.8 to 103.9 +/- 17.0 pg/ml (p < 0.05). The control group experienced no significant changes in LVEF, MRF or plasma ANP concentration. Among all patients, the change in plasma ANP concentration from baseline to 3 months correlated significantly with the change in MRF (r = 0.789, p < 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with CHF, CPAP-induced reductions in MRF and plasma ANP concentration in association with improvements in LVEF indicate improved cardiac mechanics. Our findings also suggest that reductions in plasma ANP concentration were at least partly due to reductions in MRF.

Atrial Natriuretic Factor↗

Left ventricular volume in patients with heart failure and Cheyne-Stokes respiration during sleep.

In patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), elevated, left ventricular (LV) volume might lead to pulmonary congestion and hypocapnia, which would create a predisposition to the development of Cheyne-Stokes respiration with central sleep apnea (CSR-CSA). In addition, because LV volume affects cardiac output, it should influence the lengths of hyperpneas. We therefore evaluated LV volumes and transcutaneous PCO2 (PtcCO2) during wakefulness and stage 2 sleep in 16 patients with CHF due to nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDC). Data were then compared between those with (n = 7) and those without CSR-CSA (n = 9). LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) was significantly higher in patients with than those without CSR-CSA (585 +/- 118 versus 312 +/- 41 ml, p < 0.05). Compared with patients without CSR-CSA, those with CSR-CSA had lower mean stage 2 sleep PtcCO2 (36.3 +/- 2.2 versus 41.2 +/- 1.2 mm Hg, p < 0.05) and a lesser change in PtcCO2 from wakefulness to stage 2 sleep (-0.4 +/- 0.3 versus 2.0 +/- 0.4 mm Hg, p < 0.001). Among patients with CSR-CSA, hyperpnea length was inversely related to LVEDV (R = 0.769, p = 0.043) owing to the direct relationship of cardiac output to LVEDV (R = 0.791, p = 0.034). We conclude that CSR-CSA in patients with CHF due to NIDC is associated with increased LV volumes possibly through the direct or indirect influence of LV volume on PaCO2 and cardiac output.

Carbon Dioxide↗