Exaggerated respiratory chemosensitivity and association with Sa O2 level at 3568 m in obesity

Ri Li Ge, J. A. Stone, B. D. Levine, T. G. Babb

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

To investigate whether obesity is associated with alterations in respiratory chemosensitivity, we compared the ventilatory response to hypoxia (HVR) and hypercapnia (HCVR) in 9 obese men (BMI: 37.0 ± 4.3 kg m -2) and 10 lean men (BMI: 25.8 ± 4.8 kg m-2). HVR (ΔV̇E, L min-1 per ΔSaO2, %) was measured by a progressive isocapnic hypoxia technique, and HCVR (ΔV̇E/ΔPETCO2, L min-1 Torr-1) was measured by a progressive hypercapnic method. HCVR, was greater (p < 0.001) in the obese men (2.68 ± 0.78) than in the lean men (1.4 ± 0.45) as was HVR (p < 0.05) (1.26 ± 0.65 versus 0.71 ± 0.43, respectively). The difference (ΔSaO2%, 4.30 ± 3.69 and 10.54 ± 3.45 in the lean and obese men, respectively, p < 0.01) between daytime (86 ± 1 and 86 ± 1%) and nighttime SaO2 (81 ± 3 and 76 ± 4%) at a simulated altitude of 3658 m was significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with both HVR (r = 0.51) and HCVR (r = 0.48). These results suggest that chemosensitivity in mildly obese men is increased, not blunted. Furthermore, otherwise healthy, obese individuals have the potential for significant desaturation during sleep at high altitude possibly due to exaggerated sleep-disordered breathing.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)47-54
Number of pages8
JournalRespiratory Physiology and Neurobiology
Volume146
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2005

Keywords

  • Chemoreflex
  • Nocturnal hypoxia
  • Obesity
  • Ventilatory response

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience
  • Physiology
  • Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine

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