Approximately 40 million adults in the United States have sleep apnea, with over 30 million using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine while sleeping. However, these machines are often expensive, cumbersome, and uncomfortable, leading many users to discontinue using them.
Sleep apnea is frequently associated with high blood pressure as the brain exerts more effort to regulate blood flow and breathing during sleep. A recent study conducted at the University of Missouri sheds new light on the brain’s internal mechanisms contributing to hypertension in individuals with sleep apnea.
The research findings may pave the way for the development of new medications targeting the brainstem to help reduce blood pressure to normal levels for individuals with sleep apnea.
The study, led by David Kline, a professor at Mizzou’s College of Veterinary Medicine and researcher at the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, explored how drops in blood oxygen levels during sleep apnea trigger warning signals from the forebrain to the brainstem, which controls heart and lung functions.
Through their investigation, the researchers identified two neurochemicals, oxytocin and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), that cause the brainstem to become overly active, leading to hypertension over time.
Hypertension increases the risk of stroke, metabolic complications, and various other health issues. Individuals with sleep apnea often experience not only high blood pressure but also sleep deprivation, cognitive and memory problems, and increased workplace accidents due to drowsiness.
By pinpointing the roles of oxytocin and CRH in strengthening and overstimulating the pathways related to sleep apnea, Kline and his team aim to lay the groundwork for more effective therapeutic strategies for both humans and animals.
The ultimate objective is to assist clinicians in developing targeted drugs that can address either these neurochemicals or the proteins they interact with, effectively reducing high blood pressure and normalizing levels.
Over nearly two decades of research on blood pressure and respiration mechanisms within the brain at Mizzou, Kline has secured over $10 million in grants and published over 40 studies in reputable journals, contributing to Mizzou’s sustained growth as a prominent research university.
Kline expressed his longstanding fascination with understanding how the brain influences the cardiovascular and respiratory systems while crediting his collaborators for their support and highlighting the joy of witnessing scientific discoveries made by his team in the lab.
The study was spearheaded by Procopio Gama de Barcellos Filho, a postdoctoral researcher, who commended Kline for his supportive and motivating leadership style, emphasizing the importance of collaborative decision-making in scientific endeavors.
