NHFT Effects on Symptatheic Drive of Asthma Patients

The project will be pursued in our respiratory, autonomic nervous system physiology laboratory (Respiratory, autonomic nervous system physiology laboratory, Department of Pneumology and Intensive Care Medicine, RWTH Aachen University Hospital).Overactivity of the sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) axis with "centrally" increased heart rate and peripheral vasoconstriction is a known phenomenon in patients with systolic heart failure (HF) and has recently been described in patients with primary lung diseases as in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH). Comprehensive studies investigating sympathetic drive in Asthma as one of the major pulmonary diseases are still lacking. Furthermore, the intention of this study is to determine the impact of Nasal High Flow Therapy (NHFT) on SNA and assess respiratory muscle function using state-of-the-art techniques.

Inclusion Criteria:Clinically diagnosed AsthmaAge ≥ 18Ability and willingness to give informed consent to participate in the studyExclusion Criteria:Atrial fibrillationActive pacing of the heart by a cardiac pacemaker (i.e. no intrinsic heart rate)Clinically pre-established cardiovascular disease or other pulmonary diseases (e.g. arterial hypertension, systolic heart failure, COPD)In-patient stay in the hospital within the last 4 weeks prior to the study examination dateSevere polyneuropathy