Sex Disparities in Hypoxic Sympatholysis and Impact of Obesity

Early Phase 1CompletedNCT04436731

University of Missouri-Columbia73 enrolled

Overview

Patients with sleep apnea are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease - with women at potentially greater risk than men. Contributing mechanisms are not well understood, but may be related to how women respond to low oxygen and, given over 70% of patients with sleep apnea are obese, the impact of obesity. This project seeks to increase our understanding of mechanisms that may contribute to sex differences in the cardiovascular response to low oxygen with the hope that this knowledge will improve the efficacy of current therapies and support the discovery of novel therapeutics.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Obesity Healthy Vasoconstriction Vasodilation

Interventions

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 45 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * 18-45 years of age (premenopausal) * Healthy weight (BMI ≥18 and ≤25 kg/m2) * Obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy, breastfeeding, oral hormonal contraceptive use * Diagnosed sleep apnea or Oxygen desaturation index \>10 events/hr * Current smoking/Nicotine use * Increased risk of bleeding, pro-coagulant disorders, clotting disorders, anticoagulation therapy * Nerve/neurologic disease * Cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, respiratory disease * Blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg * Diabetes, Polycystic ovarian syndrome * Communication barriers * Prescription medications, Sensitivity to lidocaine

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in forearm vascular conductance with cold pressor test

Vascular conductance is an index of vascular tone and is measured using a technique called venous occlusion plethysmography.

Time frame: Continuous measurement of vascular conductance during cold pressor test (final 2 min of normoxia and hypoxia).