Re: Central apnea...moving to sea level
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2018 7:06 pm
According to this study living at a lower altitude is better for many pepople with complex apnea.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3227706/
"Conclusion:
This study demonstrates that central apnea becomes significantly more common at increasing altitude in both diagnostic and treatment portions of split-night polysomnography in patients with significant OSA. An apparent exponential increase in the percentage of OSA patients with a CAI > 5.0 occurs with increasing altitude. Altitude associated central apnea has a significant negative effect on the quality of OSA treatment obtained during PAP titration for patients living at the altitudes addressed in this study."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3227706/
"Conclusion:
This study demonstrates that central apnea becomes significantly more common at increasing altitude in both diagnostic and treatment portions of split-night polysomnography in patients with significant OSA. An apparent exponential increase in the percentage of OSA patients with a CAI > 5.0 occurs with increasing altitude. Altitude associated central apnea has a significant negative effect on the quality of OSA treatment obtained during PAP titration for patients living at the altitudes addressed in this study."
. You may be interested in the difference of the actual effect on breathing (ultimately, oxygenation): at 571 ft the standard barometric pressure (and thus, the partial pressure of oxygen) is 98% of that at sea level, or practically the same. At 5000 ft it is 84%, which is rather significant. The exact effects are rather complicated and are also highly dependent on the general heath of the individual. Here is a nice website that has some useful calculators: