Baroreflex sensitivity during rest and pressor challenges in obstructive sleep apnea patients with and without CPAP

•Baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) was lower in obstructive sleep apnea patients compared with healthy participants during handgrip and Valsalva challenges but not rest.•Higher OSA severity was accompanied by lower BRS.•During handgrip and Valsalva challenges, high blood pressure variability was associated with low BRS in OSA irrespective of CPAP treatment.•Blood pressure regulation is impaired in OSA during wakefulness, more so with higher severity, and the deficits may remain with CPAP treatment.