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Correlation analysis of cardiopulmonary exercise test indices and conditions of overweight patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a retrospective study

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The cardiopulmonary function of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is significantly lower than that of patients with simple snoring and is significantly related to the severity of OSA. Currently, only a few studies have been conducted on cardiopulmonary exercise testing in overweight patients with OSA.

OBJECTIVE:

To analyze the correlation between cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) indices and the condition of overweight patients with OSA.

DESIGN AND SETTING:

Retrospective study in Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine.

METHODS:

This study included 73 hospitalized overweight patients. The patients were divided into no, mild, moderate, and severe OSA groups. Differences in the CPET indices among the four groups were compared. The correlation between the CPET indices and conditions was analyzed.

RESULTS:

No, mild, moderate, and severe OSA groups had 18 men and 5 women, 11 men and 3 women, 12 men and 2 women, and 21 men and 1 woman, respectively (P > 0.05). No significant difference was observed in resting pulmonary function among the four groups (P > 0.05). In the CPET, the anaerobic threshold, maximum oxygen uptake, and oxygen pulse were significantly lower in the severe OSA group than those in the normal OSA group (P < 0.05). Moreover, CPET indices negatively correlated with the apnea-hypopnea index.

CONCLUSION:

Changes in CPET indices occurred earlier than changes in resting pulmonary function in patients with OSA. CPET might be a potential method for evaluating the severity of OSA combined with overweight status.

KEY WORDS (MeSH terms):
Sleep apnea, obstructive; Overweight; Exercise test

AUTHORS’ KEY WORDS:
Cardiopulmonary exercise test; Correlation analysis; Condition

INTRODUCTION

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is sleep-disordered breathing involving respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, digestive, endocrine, and other systemic systems.11. Pinilla L, Benítez ID, Santamaria-Martos F, et al. Plasma profiling reveals a blood-based metabolic fingerprint of obstructive sleep apnea. Biomed Pharmacother. 2021;145:112425. PMID: 34800782; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112425.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2021.11...
It refers to the repeated complete or partial obstruction of the upper airway during sleep, which causes frequent apnea or reduced ventilation, leading to intermittent hypoxemia, hypercapnia, and sleep structure disorders.22. Heraganahally SS, Howarth TP, Wirth H, Short T, Benn E. Validity of the new ‘Top End Sleepiness Scale’ against the STOP-Bang tool in predicting obstructive sleep apnoea among Indigenous Australian adults. Intern Med J. 2023;53(3):339-47. PMID: 34800328; https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.15633.
https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.15633...
The main clinical manifestations of OSA are snoring with apnea and daytime sleepiness, which can cause damage to multiple organ functions.33. Chen GH, Zhang LQ, Gao XM, et al. Multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment guidelines for adult obstructive sleep apnea. Chinese J Med. 2018;98(24):1902-14. https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.issn.0376-2491.2018.24.003.
https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.issn.0376-...
Epidemiological surveys show that the prevalence in the middle-aged population and men is 2% and 4%, respectively.44. Fletcher EC, Bao G, Li R. Renin activity and blood pressure in response to chronic episodic hypoxia. Hypertension. 1999;34(2):309-14. PMID: 10454459; https://doi.org/10.1161/01.hyp.34.2.309.
https://doi.org/10.1161/01.hyp.34.2.309...
The prevalence of OSA increases with age.55. Huang W, Li H, Li H, et al. White matter lesions are associated with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome. Neurol Res. 2022; 44(5):423-8. PMID: 34781838; https://doi.org/10.1080/01616412.2021.2000823.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01616412.2021.20...

It is reported that the prevalence of OSA in patients with body mass index (BMI) exceeding 30 kg/m22. Heraganahally SS, Howarth TP, Wirth H, Short T, Benn E. Validity of the new ‘Top End Sleepiness Scale’ against the STOP-Bang tool in predicting obstructive sleep apnoea among Indigenous Australian adults. Intern Med J. 2023;53(3):339-47. PMID: 34800328; https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.15633.
https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.15633...
and metabolic syndrome is 40% and 60%, respectively.66. Raptis DG, Vavougios GD, Siachpazidou DI, et al. Intergenic SNPs in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: Revealing Metabolic, Oxidative Stress and Immune-Related Pathways. Diagnostics (Basel). 2021;11(10):1753. PMID: 34679450; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11101753.
https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11101...
,77. Alonso-Fernández A, Ribot Quetglas C, Herranz Mochales A, et al. Influence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Systemic Inflammation in Pregnancy. Front Med (Lausanne). 2021;8:674997. PMID: 34796182; https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2021.674997.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2021.674997...
All of the basic research, epidemiological, and clinical data show that obesity is one of the most important risk factors for OSA, and the incidence rate of OSA is strongly correlated with overweight.88. Endeshaw Y, Rice TB, Schwartz AV, et al. Snoring, daytime sleepiness, and incident cardiovascular disease in the health, aging, and body composition study. Sleep. 2013;36(11):1737-45. PMID: 24179308; https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.3140.
https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.3140...
OSA is an independent risk factor for metabolic syndrome, which can be complicated by diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia, and other diseases.99. Drager LF, Pereira AC, Barreto-Filho JA, et al. Phenotypic characteristics associated with hypertension in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. J Hum Hypertens. 2006;20(7):523-8. PMID: 16543905; https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002012.
https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002012...
Previous studies have confirmed that the cardiopulmonary function of patients with OSA is significantly lower than that of patients with simple snoring and is significantly related to the severity of OSA.1010. Shen XR, Chen C, Zeng DX, et al. Effect of obstructive sleep apnea on cardiopulmonary exercise test indicators. Chinese J Tuber Respir. 2015;38(03):206-7. https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.issn.1001-0939.2015.03.013.
https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.issn.1001-...
However, there are few studies on cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPETs) of patients with overweight or obesity combined with OSA.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the correlation between CPET indices and the condition of overweight patients with OSA.

METHODS

Subjects

This retrospective study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine (Data: December 20, 2019; Approval number: BF2019-216-01) All the participants provided written informed consent. From January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019, 73 overweight patients hospitalized at the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine were included. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) patients met the diagnostic criteria of the guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of OSA hypopnea syndrome (Basic Edition);1111. He QY, Wang GE. Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (Basic Edition). Chinese J Respir Critic Care. 2015;(04):398-405. https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.issn.1671-7368.2015.07.007.
https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.issn.1671-...
(2) patients who were older than 18 years; (3) patients with BMI ≥ 24 kg/m22. Heraganahally SS, Howarth TP, Wirth H, Short T, Benn E. Validity of the new ‘Top End Sleepiness Scale’ against the STOP-Bang tool in predicting obstructive sleep apnoea among Indigenous Australian adults. Intern Med J. 2023;53(3):339-47. PMID: 34800328; https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.15633.
https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.15633...
; (4) patients who underwent CPET to establish exercise-training protocols. The exclusion criteria were as follows: (1) patients who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or bronchial asthma; (2) patients who had malignant tumors; (3) patients who had immune system and acute and chronic infectious diseases; (4) patients with hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and other basic diseases; (5) patients with severe upper respiratory tract obstruction; (6) patients accompanied by other diseases affecting cardiopulmonary function; and (7) patients who received regular treatment for OSA (such as continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP]).

Diagnostic criteria

The diagnostic criteria for overweight were as per the health industry standard of the People’s Republic of China – Determination of adult weight formulated in 2013, 18.5 ≤ BMI < 24 kg/m22. Heraganahally SS, Howarth TP, Wirth H, Short T, Benn E. Validity of the new ‘Top End Sleepiness Scale’ against the STOP-Bang tool in predicting obstructive sleep apnoea among Indigenous Australian adults. Intern Med J. 2023;53(3):339-47. PMID: 34800328; https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.15633.
https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.15633...
, normal; 24 ≤ BMI < 28 kg/m2, overweight; and BMI ≥ 28 kg/m22. Heraganahally SS, Howarth TP, Wirth H, Short T, Benn E. Validity of the new ‘Top End Sleepiness Scale’ against the STOP-Bang tool in predicting obstructive sleep apnoea among Indigenous Australian adults. Intern Med J. 2023;53(3):339-47. PMID: 34800328; https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.15633.
https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.15633...
, obese.1212. Yan CR, Ding Y, Sheng JN, et al. Evaluation of the application of current metabolic syndrome diagnostic criteria in the middle-aged and elderly population according to China’s adult weight determination industry standards. Theory and practice of internal medicine. 2015;10(01):55-9. https://doi.org/CNKI:SUN:NKLL.0.2015-01-017.
https://doi.org/CNKI:SUN:NKLL.0.2015-01-...
The diagnostic criteria of OSA were in accordance with the guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of OSA hypopnea syndrome (basic level version),1111. He QY, Wang GE. Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (Basic Edition). Chinese J Respir Critic Care. 2015;(04):398-405. https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.issn.1671-7368.2015.07.007.
https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.issn.1671-...
mainly based on the medical history, signs, and polysomnography (PSG) results. OSA can be diagnosed if there are typical symptoms, such as night sleep snoring with apnea, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score ≥ 9, stenosis and obstruction of any part of the upper airway, and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 5 times/h. For those whose daytime sleepiness is not obvious (ESS score < 9), OSA can be diagnosed if there is an AHI of > 5 times/h, cognitive impairment, hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, or insomnia. According to the AHI, the severity classification is divided into mild (5 ≤ AHI < 15 times/h), moderate (15 ≤ AHI < 30 times/h), and severe (AHI ≥ 30 times/h).

Grouping and general data collection

Based on the AHI, patients were divided into no (n = 23), mild (n = 14), moderate (n = 14), and severe (n = 22) OSA groups. The sex, age, height, and weight of patients were also recorded. The ESS was used to assess excessive daytime sleepiness.

Sleep breathing monitoring

On the day of the examination, patients were forbidden from drinking coffee or strong tea. On the night of the examination, patients were forbidden from consuming sedatives and sleeping AIDS. An Anbolan M2 sleep-breathing monitor (Anbolan (Beijing) Medical Equipment Co. Ltd., Beijing, China) was used to detect breathing. Oronasal airflow, chest and abdominal movements, finger oxygen saturation, snoring, and pulse rate were recorded. During the monitoring period, the signal was kept in good condition, and the monitoring time throughout the night shall be ≥ 7 h. A report was generated after a review by a sleep-monitoring technician and a sleep professional physician. Detection indicators included the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI, times/h), minimum blood oxygen saturation (%), average blood oxygen saturation (%), percentage of sleep time with blood oxygen saturation < 90% of the total sleep time (TS90%), and oxygen reduction index (times/h).

Cardiopulmonary exercise test

First, resting pulmonary function was tested. The percentage of forced expiratory volume in the predicted value in the first second (FEV1%), percentage of forced expiratory volume in the predicted value (FVC%), one-second rate ((FEV1/FVC) %), percentage of maximum mid-expiratory flow in the predicted value, and percentage of maximum ventilation in the predicted value in a minute (MVV%) were recorded. The determination was repeated three times, the error value between the two replicates was less than 5%, and the highest value was used for analysis.

After resting for 10 min, a CPET was performed with an increasing exercise load plan. The exercise started with zero load, and the load was gradually increased after 3 min. The power load plan increased by 10-25 W/min. The speed of the bicycle was 60 rpm, and the pedaling time was controlled within 8-12 min. The power load was stopped when there was significant fatigue, shortness of breath, leg fatigue or discomfort, inability to maintain a stable speed, or significant changes in the electrocardiogram. In addition, 0 W power was used to relax for 5 min (i.e., the recovery period), and the exercise test was ended.

Endpoint

Various parameters were recorded, including the anaerobic threshold (AT, L/min), the percentage of anaerobic threshold in the predicted value (AT/Ref, %), the percentage of maximum oxygen uptake in the predicted value (O2 max/PRED, %), respiratory exchange rate (RER), oxygen pulse (O2 pulse, ml/beat), the percentage of oxygen pulse in the predicted value (O2 pulse), maximum respiratory times (f-ergo max, times/min), respiratory reserve (BR, %), and carbon dioxide ventilation equivalent (EQCO2).

Statistical analysis

SPSS software (version 25.0; International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) was used for the statistical analysis. If the measurement data met the normal distribution, the means ± standard deviation was used for the description; if the measurement data did not meet the normal distribution, the median (interquartile range) was used for the description. Count data are presented as percentages (%). When the quantitative data met the normal distribution and homogeneity of variance criteria, a one-way analysis of variance was used for multigroup comparisons, and the Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) test was used for pairwise comparisons. When the quantitative data did not meet the normal distribution or homogeneity of variance criteria, the rank sum test was used for multigroup comparisons and the SNK test was used for pairwise comparisons. The chi-square test was used to compare multiple groups of count data. The Pearson product-moment correlation was used to analyze the correlation between exercise cardiopulmonary function and AHI in patients with OSA. P < 0.05 indicated that the difference was statistically significant.

RESULTS

Comparison of general information

The no, mild, moderate, and severe OSA groups comprised 18 men and 5 women, 11 men and 3 women, 12 men and 2 women, and 21 men and 1 woman, respectively (P > 0.05). The age in the no, mild, moderate, and severe OSA groups were 50.00 ± 11.236, 51.00 ± 8.218, 54.00 ± 12.134, and 47.64 ± 6.268, respectively (P > 0.05). No significant differences were observed in the proportion of men and women, age, BMI, or other general characteristics among the four groups (P > 0.05, Table 1).

Table 1.
Comparison of general information for groups

Comparison of sleep monitoring and pulmonary functions

Sleep monitoring showed that the ESS, oxygen reduction index, minimum oxygen saturation, average oxygen saturation, TS90%, and MVV were significantly different among the four groups (P < 0.001 or P < 0.05). Moreover, significant differences were observed in the minimum oxygen saturation, mean oxygen saturation, and TS90% between the severe OSA group and the other three groups (P < 0.05). Similarly, significant differences were noticed in the minimum and average oxygen saturations between the moderate and no OSA groups (P < 0.05, Table 2).

Table 2.
Comparison of polysomnography and pulmonary functions

Comparison of exercise cardiopulmonary test indexes

Differences were observed in O2max/PRED%, AT/Ref%, and O2pulse% among the four groups (P < 0.05). Specifically, O2max/PRED%, AT/Ref%, and O2pulse% were significantly different between the overweight and severe OSA groups (P < 0.05). However, no marked differences were noticed in O2max/PRED%, AT/Ref%, or O2pulse% between the other two groups (P > 0.05; Table 3).

Table 3.
Comparison of cardiopulmonary exercise test indexes

Correlation analysis between AHI and exercise cardiopulmonary test indexes

The severity of OSA is generally expressed by the AHI. Pearson correlation analysis showed that OSA severity was negatively correlated with AT, AT/Ref%, O2max/PRED, and O2 pulse (P < 0.05). However, OSA severity of OSA was not correlated with RER or EQCO2 (P > 0.05, Table 4).

Table 4.
Correlation analysis between AHI and exercise cardiopulmonary test indexes.

DISCUSSION

In the present study, we revealed that changes in CPET indices occurred earlier than changes in resting pulmonary function in patients with OSA. CPET might be a potential method for evaluating the severity of OSA combined with overweight status.

OSA is a chronic disease with multiple system damage.1313. Ming X, Yang M, Chen X. Metabolic bariatric surgery as a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome: review of the literature and potential mechanisms. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2021;17(1):215-20. PMID: 33371935; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soard.2020.09.019.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soard.2020.09....
The clinical manifestations of mild or early OSA are often hidden.1414. Wan N, Tang X, Ding H, et al. Influence of coexistence of mild OSA on airway mucus hypersecretion in patients with COPD. J Breath Res. 2021;15(2). PMID: 33339013; https://doi.org/10.1088/1752-7163/abd52e.
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When it develops from moderate to severe, it causes irreversible damage to the body, thus losing the best opportunity for treatment.1515. Cao YE, Sheng XY, Li LH, Tian L, Peng CS. Relationship between hypoxia inducible factor-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor and blood pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome. Chinese J Mod Med. 2018;28(12):101-4. Available from: https://kns.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail.aspx?FileName=ZXDY201812019&DbName=CJFQ2018. Accessed in 2022 (Jul 29).
https://kns.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail....
,1616. Akkina SR, Ma CC, Kirkham EM, et al. Does drug induced sleep endoscopy-directed surgery improve polysomnography measures in children with Down Syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea? Acta Otolaryngol. 2018;138(11):1009-13. PMID: 30776267; https://doi.org/10.1080/00016489.2018.1504169.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00016489.2018.15...
Therefore, it is of positive clinical significance to accurately assess the severity of patients with OSA. PSG or sleep outside center monitoring (OCST) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of OSA.1717. Karabul E, Borekci S, Ugurlu S, Musellim B. The frequency of obstructive sleep apnea in patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome. Sleep Breath. 2022; 26(4):1583-91. PMID: 34773202; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-021-02491-0.
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,1818. Suzuki M, Furukawa T, Sugimoto A, Kotani R, Hosogaya R. Comparison of diagnostic reliability of out-of-center sleep tests for obstructive sleep apnea between adults and children. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2017;94:54-8. PMID: 28167012; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijporl.2017.01.015.
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The AHI measured using PSG or OCST is the most important indicator for evaluating the degree of obstruction. However, studies have found that AHI does not truly reflect the severity of the condition.1919. Liu Y, Wang GF. Is AHI the gold standard for evaluating the condition of OSAHS-On the correlation between AHI and OSAHS main target organ damage. Chinese J Respir Crit Care. 2009;05:417-20. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1671-6205.2009.05.002.
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For example, for patients with mild to moderate OSA, even if the AHI level is the same, the severity of hypoxemia and arousal can be quite different.2020. Kumano-go T, Mikami A, Suganuma N, et al. Three components of obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2003;57(2):197-203. PMID: 12667167; https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1819.2003.01101.x.
https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1819.2003...
Moreover, the results of a 2008 study on the cardiovascular endpoint events of sleep apnea (Sleep Apnea Cardiovascular Endpoints study) showed that for patients with OSA and cardiovascular disease, after CPAP treatment, although the AHI index of the patients can be reduced and hypoxia can be improved, it does not affect the cardiovascular risk.2121. Wang YK, Wang HQ, Xu MR. Discussion on the research results of cardiovascular end points of sleep apnea. Chinese J Tuber Respir. 2017;40(4):300-2. https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.issn.1001-0939.2017.04.012.
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It is suggested that a single AHI cannot be used as a predictor of cardiovascular events in patients with OSA.

The CPET mainly relies on exercise stress and comprehensively detects changes in oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide emissions in the heart and lungs under different loads and electrocardiograms. CPET helps to reflect the degree of exercise restriction.2222. Liu JM, Liu HJ. Basic concept and clinical significance of cardiopulmonary exercise test. Chinese J Tuber Respir. 2012;35(12):954-6. https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.issn.1001-0939.2012.12.027.
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The potential of cardiopulmonary function can be evaluated by CPET.2323. Carvalho JC, Cepeda FX, Rodrigues S, et al. Oxygen uptake efficiency slope in patients with metabolic syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea. FASEB Journal. 2016;30(S1):761-5. Available from: https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.761.15. Accessed in 2023 (Jun 5)
https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/do...
Moreover, it can formulate individualized intensity exercise programs to meet the needs of patients with different needs for disease rehabilitation.2424. Wang XD, Xie YH, Sun XG, et al. Cardiopulmonary exercise test. Effect of accurate formulation of individualized intensity exercise prescription on cardiopulmonary function in patients with metabolic syndrome. Chinese J Sports Med. 2019;38(01):3-9. As a noninvasive, safe, and simple detection method,2525. Ge WG, Sun XG, Liu YL, Feng J, Zhang ZY. Study on the efficacy of accurate formulation of individualized moderate intensity exercise rehabilitation prescription in the treatment of hypertension by cardiopulmonary exercise test. Chinese Gen Med. 2016;19(35):4316-22. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1007-9572.2016.35.006.
https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1007-9572...
CPET has not been popularized in China, and the evaluation value of various indicators for OSA has not been fully agreed upon.

Although some studies have shown that AHI, the most important index reflecting disease severity, may not necessarily correlate with the degree of nocturnal hypoxia and the lethargy scale score.2626. Johns MW. Daytime sleepiness, snoring, and obstructive sleep apnea. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Chest. 1993;103(1):30-6. PMID: 8417909; https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.103.1.30.
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In this study, according to the comparison of symptoms, hypoxia, and other indicators among the four groups, symptoms and hypoxia were more serious with an increase in AHI. For example, there were significant differences in the oxygen reduction index and ESS scores between the groups. There were marked differences in the minimum oxygen saturation, average oxygen saturation, and TS90% between the severe OSA group and the other three groups. These results showed that AHI had a good correlation with the sleepiness scale score and hypoxemia, which may be related to the fact that the patients were overweight. This suggests that in overweight and OSA patients, the symptoms and degree of hypoxia become increasingly serious with the progression of the disease.2727. Tang Q, Yang N, Wang G, Zhang CL. Research progress on the relationship between obesity and OSAHS and its treatment. J Clin Lung. 2016;21(01):125-9. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1009-6663.2016.001.037.
https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1009-6663...
There was no significant difference in resting static pulmonary function among the four groups, indicating that resting static pulmonary function has limitations in evaluating OSA severity. There were significant differences in MVV among the four groups, but there was no significant difference among the four groups using the SNK method, which is consistent with previous literature reports.2828. Chen YJ, Zhao Y, Ai HJ, et al. Correlation between exercise cardiopulmonary function and condition and prognosis in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome. Anhui Med. 2017;21(2):267-69. The contradiction may be related to the small sample size.

In the CPET, the anaerobic threshold, maximum oxygen uptake, and oxygen pulse in the severe OSA group were significantly lower than those in the no OSA group and negatively correlated with AHI. This suggests that the anaerobic threshold, maximum oxygen uptake, and oxygen pulse decreased with disease aggravation, especially in the severe OSA group. The anaerobic threshold refers to the maximum oxygen uptake value when a patient’s aerobic function does not require the supplementary function of anaerobic metabolism during exercise. This was the highest oxygen uptake observed in the absence of lactic acidosis. It represents the ability of the circulatory system to transport oxygen and reflects a patient’s cardiac function. The maximum oxygen-carrying capacity reflects the blood pumping limit of the heart and the oxygen uptake capacity of sports tissues.2929. Zeng XH, Qi YJ, LV XJ, Zhang JY, Tan O. Correlation between blood pressure variability and exercise cardiopulmonary function in obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome. Prog Modern Biomedicine. 2019;19(24):4711-43. Available from: https://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTotal-SWCX201924025.htm. Accessed in 2022 (Dec 8).
https://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTota...
Oxygen pulse reflects the level of cardiac output and cardiac reserve capacity and is a main index of cardiopulmonary function under maximum load.3030. Zhu L, Liu YN, Yu RJ. Clinical pulmonary function. Beijing: People’s Health Publishing House; 2004. p 307-38. The above results suggest that the changes in cardiopulmonary exercise test indexes in overweight OSA patients occur earlier than resting static pulmonary functions. CPET can be used as an auxiliary method to evaluate the severity of OSA in overweight patients.

Furthermore, there is poor compliance with the traditional treatment of OSA, such as noninvasive positive pressure ventilation.3131. Raggi A, Ferri R. Cognitive evoked potentials in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: a review of the literature. Rev Neurosci. 2012;23(3):311-23. PMID: 22752788; https://doi.org/10.1515/revneuro-2012-0027.
https://doi.org/10.1515/revneuro-2012-00...
The CPET is used to understand the cardiopulmonary function of overweight patients with OSA. Early intervention for patients with a downward trend in cardiopulmonary exercise indicators can prevent disease progression. In this study, there were no significant differences in CPET indices between the mild OSA, moderate OSA, and no OSA groups. Moreover, there were no significant differences in respiratory reserve and carbon dioxide ventilation equivalents among the four groups. This may be due to small sample sizes.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the CPET may be a potential method for assessing the severity of OSA and overweight status. It provides clinical evidence for formulating exercise prescriptions and early weight loss interventions, which is of great significance in preventing disease exacerbation and improving prognosis.

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  • Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Province, China
  • Ethics approval and consent to participate: This retrospective study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine (No. BF2019-216-01), and all subjects provided written informed consent.
  • Sources of funding: This study was funded by the Guangdong Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Service and Industry Development Research Center (No:2019YBB05) and the Special Project of the Guangdong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No: YN2019ML11).

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    13 Oct 2023
  • Date of issue
    2024

History

  • Received
    18 Aug 2022
  • Reviewed
    16 Apr 2023
  • Accepted
    01 June 2023
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