ERJ
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Koehler, U
Right arrow Articles by Peter, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Koehler, U
Right arrow Articles by Peter, J.
Eur Respir J 1998; 11: 434-439
Copyright © ERS Journals Ltd 1998


Clinical Trial

Heart block in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea: pathogenetic factors and effects of treatment

U Koehler, E Fus, W Grimm, W Pankow, H Schafer, A Stammnitz, and JH Peter

Heart block during sleep has been described in up to 10% of patients with obstructive sleep apnoea. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between sleep stage, oxygen desaturation and apnoea-associated bradyarrhythmias as well as the effect of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP)/nasal bi-level positive airway pressure (nBiPAP) therapy on these arrhythmias in patients without electrophysiological abnormalities. Sixteen patients (14 males and two females, mean age 49.6+/-10.4 yrs) with sleep apnoea and nocturnal heart block underwent polysomnography after exclusion of electrophysiological abnormalities of the sinus node function and atrioventricular (AV) conduction system by invasive electrophysiological evaluation. During sleep, 651 episodes of heart block were recorded, 572 (87.9%) occurred during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and 79 (12.1%) during nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep stages 1 and 2. During REM sleep, the frequency of heart block was significantly higher than during NREM sleep: 0.69+/-0.99 versus 0.02+/-0.04 episodes of heart block x min(-1) of the respective sleep stage (p<0.001). During apnoeas or hypopnoeas, 609 bradyarrhythmias (93.5%) occurred with a desaturation of at least 4%. With nCPAP/ nBiPAP therapy, apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) decreased from 75.5+/-39.6 x h(-1) to 3.0+/-6.6 x h(-1) (p<0.01) and the number of arrhythmias from 651 to 72 (p<0.01). We conclude that: 1) 87.9% of apnoea-associated bradyarrhythmias occur during rapid eye movement sleep; 2) the vast majority of heart block episodes occur during a desaturation of at least 4% without a previously described threshold value of 72%; and 3) nasal continuous positive airway pressure or nasal bi-level positive airway pressure is the therapy of choice in patients with apnoea-associated bradyarrhythmias.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
CirculationHome page
V. K. Somers, D. P. White, R. Amin, W. T. Abraham, F. Costa, A. Culebras, S. Daniels, J. S. Floras, C. E. Hunt, L. J. Olson, et al.
Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease: An American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Council for High Blood Pressure Research Professional Education Committee, Council on Clinical Cardiology, Stroke Council, and Council on Cardiovascular Nursing In Collaboration With the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (National Institutes of Health)
Circulation, September 2, 2008; 118(10): 1080 - 1111.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J Am Coll CardiolHome page
V. K. Somers, D. P. White, R. Amin, W. T. Abraham, F. Costa, A. Culebras, S. Daniels, J. S. Floras, C. E. Hunt, L. J. Olson, et al.
Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease: An American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Council for High Blood Pressure Research Professional Education Committee, Council on Clinical Cardiology, Stroke Council, and Council on Cardiovascular Nursing In Collaboration With the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (National Institutes of Health)
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., August 19, 2008; 52(8): 686 - 717.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
CirculationHome page
S. Garrigue, J.-L. Pepin, P. Defaye, F. Murgatroyd, Y. Poezevara, J. Clementy, and P. Levy
High Prevalence of Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Patients With Long-Term Pacing: The European Multicenter Polysomnographic Study
Circulation, April 3, 2007; 115(13): 1703 - 1709.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur Respir JHome page
W. T. McNicholas, M. R. Bonsignore, and the Management Committee of EU COST ACTION B26
Sleep apnoea as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease: current evidence, basic mechanisms and research priorities
Eur. Respir. J., January 1, 2007; 29(1): 156 - 178.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
A. Datta and M. Tipton
Respiratory responses to cold water immersion: neural pathways, interactions, and clinical consequences awake and asleep
J Appl Physiol, June 1, 2006; 100(6): 2057 - 2064.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
NEJMHome page
A. S. Gami, D. E. Howard, E. J. Olson, and V. K. Somers
Day-Night Pattern of Sudden Death in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
N. Engl. J. Med., March 24, 2005; 352(12): 1206 - 1214.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ChestHome page
A. Alonso-Fernandez, F. Garcia-Rio, M. A. Racionero, J. M. Pino, F. Ortuno, I. Martinez, and J. Villamor
Cardiac Rhythm Disturbances and ST-Segment Depression Episodes in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome and Its Mechanisms
Chest, January 1, 2005; 127(1): 15 - 22.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
JAMAHome page
A. S. M. Shamsuzzaman, B. J. Gersh, and V. K. Somers
Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Implications for Cardiac and Vascular Disease
JAMA, October 8, 2003; 290(14): 1906 - 1914.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ChestHome page
J. Harbison, P. O'Reilly, and W. T. McNicholas
Cardiac Rhythm Disturbances in the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome : Effects of Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy
Chest, September 1, 2000; 118(3): 591 - 595.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1998 by the European Respiratory Society.