Aim 1: The Investigators will perform a cross-sectional study to examine vascular risk in individuals with OVS compared with matched individuals with OSA alone or COPD alone. The PI will examine a panel of biomarkers including cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (right ventricular mass primary outcome), flow mediated vasodilation, plasma biomarkers (BNP, troponin, hsCRP, ST2, galectin3, miR-210). This aim will allow the team to test the hypothesis that individuals with OVS have increased vascular risk compared with matched individuals with OSA alone or COPD alone. This aim will also allow the team to compare the magnitude of the effect of OSA vs. COPD vs OVS for design of subsequent basic and clinical studies.
Aim 2: The Investigators will perform an interventional study in individuals with OVS to compare the impact of bi-level therapy with that of oxygen therapy (the current standard of care). The team will assess the same panel of biomarkers as in Aim 1 to determine the impact of treatment on the observed abnormalities. This aim will allow the team to test the hypothesis that bi-level therapy is superior to oxygen in the treatment of individuals with OVS from the standpoint of right ventricular mass and other cardiovascular risk parameters/outcomes. Our assessments of biomarkers will help to define potential causal pathways for our findings and will allow determination of appropriate biomarkers for subsequent multicenter studies.