Abstract
Background: Very limited number of studies has addressed cardiac arrhythmias in OSA patients.
Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and types of arrhythmias in OSA patients and to try to detect predictors for arrhythmia in this group of patients.
Methods: In this case-control study, polysomnography (PSG) of all patients with and without OSA were reviewed by physicians who were blinded to the existing sleep disorder for the presence of arrhythmia.
Results: The study comprised 257 OSA patients and 99 non-OSA patients (control group). OSA patients had a mean age 47.9±13.5 years, body mass index of 35.7±9.5 kg/m2, apnea hypopnea index (AHI) of 42.4±36.9/hr, and males represented 60.7% of the group. The prevalence of arrhythmia in OSA patients was higher than that in the non-OSA group (24.5% vs. 12.1%, p = 0.01). Among OSA patients, premature atrial contraction was present in 10.1%, premature ventricular contraction in 16.3% and atrial fibrillation in 4 patients (1.6%). OSA patients with arrhythmias were significantly older (53.5±15.3 years vs. 46±12.4 years; p<0.05), heavier (38.3±9.1 kg/m2vs. 34.9±9.5 kg/m2; p<0.05), had lower average nocturnal O2 saturation (91.4±6.8% vs. 93.6±5.6%; p<0.05), and spent longer time with O2 saturation <90% (22.6±36.1 minutes vs. 11.2±25.2minutes; p<0.05). OSA patients with arrhythmias had a higher prevalence of hypertension and ischemic heart disease. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified ischemic heart disease as the only predictor of arrhythmias (OR 2.364, CI:1.004-5.592, p<0.05).
Conclusions: Arrhythmia was more prevalent among OSA patients with longer periods of hypoxemia and those with ischemic heart disease.
- © 2011 ERS