Peripheral chemoreceptor reflex in obstructive sleep apnea patients; a relationship between ventilatory response to hypoxia and nocturnal bradycardia during apnea events.

15 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and arterial hypertension (H-OSAS), 25 normotensive patients with sleep apnea syndrome (N-OSAS) and 20 healthy age-matched controls (C) were included in this study. Ventilatory responses to activation (hypoxia) and inactivation (hyperoxia) of carotid chemoreceptors were studied in all subjects. Relationship between hypoxic ventilatory reactivity and nocturnal bradycardia during apnea-phases was analysed in both groups of patients. Results and conclusions. 1. We found an impairment of ventilatory response to hypoxia in H-OSAS and N-OSAS patients. However, the increase in ventilation in response to hypoxia was significantly greater in H-OSAS as compared to N-OSAS patients. 2. An augmented ventilatory response to inactivation of carotid chemoreceptors (the decrease in ventilation), observed in H-OSAS patients, indicates an increase in resting peripheral chemoreceptors drive in this group of patients. 3. The relationship between ventilatory response to hypoxia and nocturnal bradycaria in obstructive sleep apnea patients suggests, that hypoxic reactivity of arterial chemoreceptors might be involved in the origin of bradycardia during apnea events.