Sympathetic Nerve Activity Predictors in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Summary

The project will be pursued in our respiratory, autonomic nervous system physiology laboratory (Respiratory, autonomic nervous system physiology laboratory, Department of Pneumology and Intensive Care Medicine, RWTH Aachen University Hospital; Head of Department: Professor Michael Dreher). Overactivity of the sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) axis with "centrally" increased heart rate and peripheral vasoconstriction is a known phenomenon in patients with systolic heart failure (HF) and has recently been described in patients with primary lung disease as seen in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, systematic analyses on this clinically relevant topic are currently lacking. Thus, using a comprehensive, multimodal approach and state-of-the-art technology, this research project is designed to determine the extent and nature of increased SNA in COPD (AIM 1) and evaluate the underlying mechanisms (AIM 2). The project will address the following hypotheses: 1. In COPD, concomitant obstructive sleep apnea is independently associated with increased SNA. 2. Precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH), inspiratory muscle dysfunction and systemic inflammation describe a COPD phenotype characterised by increased SNA with a different subtype.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

* Age ≥ 18
* Ability and willingness to give informed consent to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

* Atrial fibrillation
* Active pacing of the heart by a cardiac pacemaker (i.e. no intrinsic heart rate)
* Clinically pre-established cardiovascular disease (e.g. arterial hypertension or systolic heart failure)
* In-patient stay in the hospital within the last 4 weeks prior to the study examination date

Conditions3

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