PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Carmen C. Stroescu AU - Stefan Dumitrache-Rujinski AU - Ionela Erhan AU - Carmen Gigea AU - Irina Pele AU - Miron A. Bogdan TI - Exercise capacity, obesity and systemic inflammation in severe obstructive sleep apnoea AID - 10.1183/23120541.sleepandbreathing-2017.P95 DP - 2017 Apr 01 TA - ERJ Open Research PG - P95 VI - 3 IP - suppl 1 4099 - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/3/suppl_1/P95.short 4100 - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/3/suppl_1/P95.full SO - erjor2017 Apr 01; 3 AB - Background Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are associated with systemic inflammation, secondary cardiovascular comorbidities and low exercise capacity.Aim To assess the relations between exercise capacity and systemic inflammation in obese patients with severe OSA.Method Newly diagnosed severe OSA patients (AHI>25/hour, cardiorespiratory polygraphy) were evaluated by anthropometric measurements (Body Mass Index, BMI; neck, waist and hip circumference and ratio, WHR); complete blood count, including red cell distribution width (RDW); erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), fibrinogen (Fb), neutrophil and platelets to lymphocyte ratios (Ne/Ly; Pl/Ly) as surrogates of systemic inflammation. All subjects underwent an incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test with peak oxygen uptake (VO2,peak), oxygen uptake at the ventilatory threshold (VT), VT percent VO2,peak (VT%peak), peak heart rate (PHR) in order to asses maximal exercise capacity. Relations between these parameters were analyzed.Results In 19 (14 men) severe OSA patients, with median values for age 39 years (33-48), BMI 36.6 kg/m2 (26.6-39.7), WHR 1 (1-1.1), AHI 68/hour (33.5-99.3), ODI 64/hour (17.5-95.6), hemoglobin (Hb) 16 g/dl (14-17), ESR 3 mm/1 h (1-10), FB 277 mg/dl (232-395), Ne/Ly 1.18 (1-3.73), Pl/Ly 75 (55-129.47), RDW 12% (11-13), we found a VO2,peak 2358 ml/min (1206-2668), VT 1336 ml/min (906-1990), VT%peak 65% (34-91.8), PHR 160/min (119-171).Statistically significant negative correlation between BMI and exercise capacity (r -0.491, p 0.033) was found. OSA severity (AHI, ODI) also negatively correlated with exercise capacity (r -0.663, p 0.002; r -0.473, p 0.047). BMI negatively correlated with Pl/Ly (r -0.715, p 0.009). No correlation between exercise capacity or OSA severity and Pl/Ly was found.Conclusion Both obesity and severe OSA decrease exercise capacity. Obesity is related with systemic inflammation but OSA severity and exercise capacity are not. Systemic inflammation may not be the main mechanism of reduced exercise capacity in severe OSA, other mechanisms being probably involved (cardiac dysfunction).