RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Sleep apnoea in heart failure
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 1201
OP 1205
DO 10.1183/09031936.00037106
VO 29
IS 6
A1 R. Schulz
A1 A. Blau
A1 J. Börgel
A1 H. W. Duchna
A1 I. Fietze
A1 I. Koper
A1 R. Prenzel
A1 S. Schädlich
A1 J. Schmitt
A1 S. Tasci
A1 S. Andreas
A1 for the working group “Kreislauf und Schlaf” of the German Sleep Society (DGSM)
YR 2007
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/29/6/1201.abstract
AB Studies from the USA have reported that sleep apnoea is common in congestive heart failure (CHF), with Cheyne–Stokes respiration (CSR) being the most frequent type of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in these patients. Within the present study, the authors sought to assess the prevalence and type of SDB among CHF patients in Germany. A total of 203 CHF patients participated in this prospective multicentre study. All patients were stable in New York Heart Association classes II and III and had a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <40%. The patients were investigated by polygraphy and all data were centrally analysed. Patient enrolment was irrespective of sleep-related symptoms. The majority of patients were male with a mean age of 65 yrs and hospitalised. Of the 203 patients, 145 (71%) had an apnoea/hypopnoea index >10·h−1, obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) occurred in 43% (n = 88) and CSR in 28% (n = 57) of patients. The prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing is high in patients with stable severe congestive heart failure from a European population. As sleep-disordered breathing may have a negative impact on the prognosis of congestive heart failure, a sleep study should be performed in every patient with congestive heart failure and a left ventricular ejection fraction of <40%. This diagnostic approach should probably be adopted for all of these patients irrespective of the presence of sleep-related symptoms.