A recently awarded, National Institutes of Health funded Phase II Clinical Trial (2020-2025) at The University of Arizona, will assess the potential for breathing to lower blood pressure in adults with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Welcome to the Arizona Respiratory Neurophysiology laboratory (ARNL). Our research focus is respiratory control and specifically, how breathing may be used to regulate blood pressure. Beginning in 2013, we have spearheaded research using a form of respiratory exercise training known as Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT). Over the last 8 years, we have studied the effects of this breathing training program and demonstrated its potential to lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health.

 

Given a rising prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and hypertension among older adults and, in view of the substantial cardiovascular risk and healthcare costs associated with OSA, ARNL recently was awarded a 5-year grant from the National Institutes of Health and National Institute for Aging to study IMT for use in adults with obstructive sleep apnea. The Phase II clinical trial currently is recruiting participants.

 

ARNL utilizes state-of-the-art experimental techniques including overnight polysomnography, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, and assessments of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), ultrasound-guided assessments of brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (BA-FMD), and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV).

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If you are an adult between 50-80 years of age who has been diagnosed with OSA and are interested in IMT or the potential to delay, minimize and/or prevent sleep disordered-breathing and related impairments in vascular function, click on learn more above to get more information about the study.

 

Thank you for stopping by!