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Improvement in sleep-disordered breathing may diminish long-term CV effects for children
Recent study findings indicate that improvement in children with sleep-disordered breathing was associated with improved BP control, regardless of whether the child received treatment or the condition was spontaneously resolved 4 years after the initial diagnosis.
The prospective study included 40 children previously diagnosed with sleep-disordered breathing and 20 healthy controls who underwent overnight polysomnography with continuous BP measurement and completed questionnaires on quality of life and sleep habits. The children were aged 11 to 16 years at the time of the study, which was conducted 4 years after the original diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing.
At follow-up, the researchers found that only children with resolved obstructive sleep apnea demonstrated an increase in baroreflex sensitivity (9.7 ± 3 ms/mm Hg-1 to 11.8 ± 4 ms/mm Hg-1; P=.03). This change was observed regardless of whether the obstructive sleep apnea had been treated or the condition spontaneously resolved.
From baseline to follow-up, children with both resolved and unresolved sleep-disordered breathing of all severities experienced a significant decrease in BP variability (P<.05) and a shift in BP variability spectra away from respiratory-related frequencies (P<.01), according to the study results.
The researchers determined that the change in obstructive apnea hypopnea index was accountable for the changes in baroreflex sensitivity, HF power and low-frequency/high-frequency ratio.
“Given the cardiovascular benefit we found with [sleep-disordered breathing] resolution, our study highlights the importance of continued monitoring of children with [sleep-disordered breathing], to ensure that there is either a resolution or at least an improvement in their [sleep-disordered breathing],” the researchers concluded.
Disclosure: See the full study for a list of the researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.