This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory lung condition that imposes a growing burden to our society in terms of morbidity, quality of life and healthcare costs. Despite significant progress in our understanding of asthma causes and treatment, some asthmatics have persistent symptoms and have a poor quality of life. Obstructive sleep apnea (stopping breathing while sleeping) is also a common condition. Sleep related complaints are common among asthmatics, but there are no studies to show how frequent obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is among patients with persistent asthma (PA). The magnitude of improvement in asthma control achieved by treatment of OSA with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is not known either. We propose a study to assess how frequently OSA is found in a sample of patients with PA and frequent sleep related complains suggestive of OSA (such as snoring, witnessed episodes of stopping breathing while asleep and daytime sleepiness), by performing nocturnal sleep studies. We will try to determine the impact of 8-week of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on asthma control, quality of life and health resources utilization. Also, we will evaluate mechanisms that may link sleep disturbances to the onset of asthma symptoms and changes in blood inflammatory markers after 8-week therapy with CPAP.
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