Inorganic Nitrate and OSA

Acute Beetroot Juice Supplementation and Peripheral Chemoreflex Sensitivity in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT03930563

Enrollment

Registered

2019-04-29

Start date

2019-06-12

Completion date

2020-03-06

Last updated

2021-04-27

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Keywords

inorganic nitrate, blood flow, Peripheral chemoreflex, Common carotid artery

Brief summary

The main purpose of this study is to determine if acute beetroot juice supplementation reduces peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. All subjects will consume low-dose (BRL), higher-dose (BRH), and placebo (BRP) beetroot juice randomly on three independent study visits. Beetroot juice also improves blood flow thus, the investigators will also measure blood flow to the carotid chemoreceptors.

Detailed description

Four-weeks of daily beetroot juice supplementation reduces peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity in healthy older adults who have 'normal' responses to acute hypoxia. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea have exaggerated peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity. It remains unknown if beetroot juice supplementation reduces peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Additionally, increasing blood flow to the peripheral chemoreceptors reduces sensitivity. Given that beetroot juice improves blood flow, the investigators will also measure common carotid artery blood flow at rest and during hypoxia.

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTPre-beetroot juice supplementation

Before administering beetroot juice to subjects.

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTPost-beetroot juice supplementation

After administering beetroot juice to subjects.

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

CROSSOVER

Primary purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

30 Years to 70 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* OSA group: patients recently diagnosed with mild-to-moderate OSA * Control group: healthy individuals

Exclusion criteria

* Diagnosis of heart disease * Diagnosis of diabetes * Diagnosis of any autonomic disorders * Diagnosis of kidney disease * Diagnosis of central sleep apnea * Regular physical activity exceeding 30 minutes 3 days/week * A body mass index ≥40 kg/m2 * Current or former use of a continuous positive airway pressure machine * Current tobacco use * Currently prescribed hormone replacement therapy

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Changes in peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity	Before and after consuming all supplements (within three hours)	The ventilatory response to acute hypoxia will be measured via pneumotachometer.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Changes in common carotid artery blood flow	Before and after consuming all supplements (within three hours)	Blood flow through the common carotid artery before and during hypoxia measured via Doppler ultrasound

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026