Abstract
The impact of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on the airway responsiveness of asthmatic subjects with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has scarcely been studied.
A prospective study was performed comparing the changes in airway responsiveness and quality of life in stable asthmatic OSA patients, before and 6 weeks after their nocturnal CPAP treatment.
A total of 20 subjects (11 males and nine females) participated in the study. With the nocturnal CPAP treatment, the apnoea/hypopnoea index dropped from 48.1±23.6·h-1 to 2.6±2.5·h-1. There were no significant changes in airway responsiveness after CPAP treatment (provocative concentration causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1; PC20 2.5 mg·mL-1 (1.4–4.5)) compared with baseline (PC20 2.2 mg·mL-1 (1.3–3.5)). There was no significant change in FEV1 either. However, the asthma quality of life of the subjects improved from 5.0±1.2 at baseline to 5.8±0.9 at the end of the study.
In conclusion, nocturnal continuous positive airway pressure treatment did not alter airway responsiveness or forced expiratory volume in one second in subjects with stable mild-to-moderate asthma and newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnoea. However, nocturnal continuous positive airway pressure treatment did improve asthma quality of life.
- Airway responsiveness
- asthma
- asthma quality of life
- continuous positive airway pressure
- obstructive sleep apnoea
Footnotes
-
For editorial comments see page 226.
- © ERS Journals Ltd