Abstract
OBJECTIVES:We compared the autonomic modulation and sleep behavior of eutrophic and overweight patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).METHODS:COPD participants were divided into the overweight and eutrophic groups. Pulmonary function, blood pressure, body composition, autonomic modulation, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score were assessed. Participants performed the six-minute walk test for functional assessment.RESULTS:Spirometric variables obtained in eutrophic and overweight individuals with COPD showed no statistically different results. We observed that the SDNN index indicated lower overall variability (p=0.003), and root mean square of successive differences between normal heart beats (RMSSD) (p=0.04) indicated lower parasympathetic modulation in the overweight group than observed in the eutrophic group. The indexes of the frequency domain presented lower values of total variability (p<0.01), low frequency bands (p<0.01), and high frequency (p=0.02), suggesting a higher sympathetic modulation and reduced parasympathetic modulation of the overweight group compared to eutrophic group. The overweight group also showed reduced sleep quality than the eutrophic group.CONCLUSION:Overweight COPD patients showed lower autonomic modulation and impaired sleep quality, latency, and efficiency as compared eutrophic subjects. These results reinforce the importance of weight control and the acquisition of healthy habits in this population.
Highlights
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic disease strongly associated with severe morbidity and is currently the third leading cause of death globally [1]
24 COPD patients participated in the analyses of heart rate variability (HRV) and sleep quality
The present study demonstrates that overweight COPD patients have autonomic nervous system (ANS) imbalance associated with increased sympathetic modulation, reduced vagal modulation, and increased systolic blood pressure (BP)
Summary
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic disease strongly associated with severe morbidity and is currently the third leading cause of death globally [1]. Patients with COPD display airway inflammation and destruction of the lung parenchyma, mainly due to redox imbalance and proinflammatory cytokines [2]. These changes induce small airway dysfunction limiting the flow and typically present symptoms such as cough and progressive chronic dyspnea, which are limiting conditions for patients [3]. Received for publication on March 3, 2020. Accepted for publication on September 2, 2020
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