Diet and exercise improve chemoreflex sensitivity in patients with metabolic syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea

Objective Chemoreflex hypersensitity was caused by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). This study tested the hypothesis that hypocaloric diet and exercise training (D+ET) would improve peripheral and central chemoreflex sensitivity in patients with MetS and OSA. Methods Patients were assigned to: (1) D+ET ( n = 16) and (2) no intervention control (C, n = 8). Minute ventilation (VE, pre‐calibrated pneumotachograph) and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA, microneurography) were evaluated during peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity by inhalation of 10% O 2 and 90% N 2 with CO 2 titrated and central chemoreflex by 7% CO 2 and 93% O 2 for 3 min at study entry and after 4 months. Results Peak VO 2 was increased by D+ET; body weight, waist circumference, glucose levels, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, and apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) (34 ± 5.1 vs. 18 ± 3.2 events/h, P = 0.04) were reduced by D+ET. MSNA was reduced by D+ET at rest and in response to hypoxia (8.6 ± 1.2 vs. 5.4 ± 0.6 bursts/min, P = 0.02), and VE in response to hypercapnia (14.8 ± 3.9 vs. 9.1 ± 1.2 l/min, P = 0.02). No changes were found in the C group. A positive correlation was found between AHI and MSNA absolute changes ( R = 0.51, P = 0.01) and body weight and AHI absolute changes ( R = 0.69, P < 0.001). Conclusions Sympathetic peripheral and ventilatory central chemoreflex sensitivity was improved by D+ET in MetS+OSA patients, which may be associated with improvement in sleep pattern.