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Heart rate recovery post 6-minute walking test in obstructive sleep apnea

Cycle ergometry versus 6-minute walking test in OSA patients

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Abstract

Purpose

To examine the clinical usefulness of heart rate recovery (HRR) post 6-minute walking test (6MWT) as a simple marker of cardiovascular risk in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients in comparison to HRR post cycle ergometry, the validated and more sophisticated protocol.

Methods

Seventy-four participants underwent full overnight polysomnography, cycle ergometry and 6MWT. The HRR at 1, 2 and 3 min (HRR-1, HRR-2 and HRR-3) 6MWT was compared to HRR at 1, 2, and 3 min post cycle ergometry in normal subjects and in moderate and severe OSA patients before and after 6-month CPAP treatment.

Results

The HRR-1, HRR-2 and HRR-3 in 6MWT were significantly different between normal, moderate and severe OSA patients with higher rates achieved in normal. The higher the severity of OSA the lower the HRR was. There were also no differences found between work rate and distance walked during cycle ergometry or 6MWT, respectively, concerning normal, moderate and severe OSA patients. Heart rate recovery was further associated with minimum saturation of oxygen during sleep independently of the duration of apnea episodes of BMI and ESS. The treatment with CPAP had a beneficial effect on HRR both post-6MWT and post cycle ergometry.

Conclusions

Autonomic nervous system dysfunction in OSA can be found even with submaximal exertion. Heart rate recovery post-6MWT, such as HRR post cycle ergometry, was significantly impaired in OSA patients in comparison to normals and was favorably influenced from CPAP treatment. Furthermore, it was found to be more sensitive compared with distance walked in 6MWT in discriminating severity of OSA. The HRR post-6MWT was found to be an easily measured and reliable marker of OSA severity both before and after CPAP treatment.

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Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1st Respiratory Medicine Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, “Sotiria” Chest Diseases Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Kyriaki G. Cholidou, Effrosyni D. Manali, Fotis Kapsimalis, Ioannis D. Kostakis, Evaggelos Markozannes, Ioannis Vogiatzis, Petros Bakakos, Nikolaos Koulouris & Manos Alchanatis

  2. Genomics and Proteomics Research Units, Center of Basic Research II, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Konstantinos Vougas & Davina Simoes

  3. 9-11 Aghiou Thoma Street, Abelokipi, 11527, Athens, Greece

    Kyriaki G. Cholidou

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  1. Kyriaki G. Cholidou
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Cholidou, K.G., Manali, E.D., Kapsimalis, F. et al. Heart rate recovery post 6-minute walking test in obstructive sleep apnea. Clin Res Cardiol 103, 805–815 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-014-0721-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-014-0721-3

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