Washington, Jan 2 (ANI): People with untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) have altered cardiovascular responses during recovery from maximal exercise, says a new study.

OSA is a sleep-related breathing disorder that causes your body to stop breathing during sleep. OSA occurs when the tissue in the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airway. This keeps air from getting into the lungs.

The study, led by Trent A. Hargens, PhD, of Virginia Tech, suggests an imbalance in the autonomic control of heart rate during recovery, and may be an early clinical sign of the progression of OSA.

In the study, the researchers reviewed 44 individuals: 14 overweight with OSA (OSA), 16 overweight without OSA (No-OSA) and 14 normal weight without OSA (Control).

All the participants were between the ages of 18 and 26.

The subjects performed maximal ramping exercise testing on a cycle ergometer with five minutes of active recovery. Exercise measurements included heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory exchange ratio and oxygen consumption.

The analysis revealed that, in OSA patients heart rate recovery was significantly weakened compared to the No-OSA and control groups throughout recovery.

No differences were noted in the heart rate or blood pressure response to exercise in any group.

We believe our study is the first study to show blunted post-exercise heart rate recovery in young apparently healthy young men who have latent obstructive sleep apnea. Mechanistic studies by other investigators suggest that this response is a function of impaired vagal reactivation following vigorous exercise which is a marker specific to the autonomic dysfunction of sleep apnea, said William G. Herbert, PhD, a co-author of the study.

Given these results were observed in young men, follow-up confirmation with large cohorts may support use of this marker for identifying men at early risk of sleep apnea and for monitoring therapy in those already being treated for this common but under-diagnosed disorder, he added.

The study is published in the journal Sleep. (ANI)