Sex Differences in Reflex Responses to Intermittent Hypoxia

University of Missouri (MU)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy Participants

Treatments: Other: Hypoxic exposure

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03606434

4R00HL130339 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

2011312

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of the present study is to determine whether there are sex differences in the reflex responses to hypoxia in humans.

Full description

Over 35% of the US population will develop sleep apnea at some point in their life. Sleep apnea is the most common form of sleep disordered breathing and patients with sleep apnea are at increased risk of developing high blood pressure. Intermittent, repeated exposures to low oxygen during sleep (intermittent hypoxia, IH) has been implicated as the primary stimulus for increases in sympathetic nervous system activity and blood pressure with sleep apnea. Interestingly there are some reports of a lower incidence of hypertension in women with sleep apnea when compared to men. Results from the present study will provide information important to the investigator's understanding of potential sex-differences in clinical outcomes for conditions related to acute/chronic hypoxia and may have important implications for treatments which may improve blood pressure control in patients with sleep apnea.

Enrollment: 40 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 45 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• healthy adult men and women;
• BMI <30 kg/m2;
• non-pregnant;
• non-breastfeeding;
• non-smokers;
• premenopausal women with a normal menstrual cycle unaffected by hormonal contraceptive use;
• taking no medications known to affect autonomic or cardiovascular function (PI discretion).

Exclusion criteria

• taking any medications known to affect the cardiovascular or autonomic nervous system (e.g. alpha-blockers, beta-blockers, etc);
• a self-reported history of hepatic, renal, pulmonary, cardiovascular, or neurological diseases;
• stroke or neurovascular disease;
• bleeding/clotting disorder;
• sleep apnea or other sleep disorders;
• diabetes;
• smoking;
• history of alcoholism or substance abuse;
• hypertension.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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40 participants in 1 patient group

Hypoxic Exposure

Experimental group

Description:

Men, and women in early or late follicular phase of menstrual cycle will be exposed to acute and intermittent hypoxic episodes.

Treatment:

Other: Hypoxic exposure