Subjective sleep characteristics, apnea episodes and day drowse in patients with systolic cardiac failure: potential of clinicofunctional outpatient examination

Aim. To characterize sleep apnea (SA) in patients with systolic cardiac failure (SCF) using respiratory monitoring, sleep quality and diurnal drowse questionnaires.
Material and methods. A total of 358 SCF outpatients with SA episodes were examined: 24 hour ECG and respiration monitoring, an analysis of diurnal drowse questionnaire survey, apnea and snoring self-appraisal.
Results. Significant SA episodes were registered in 15.1% of 358 patients (SA index 5 and more per hour). The episodes occurred significantly more frequently in patients with overweight and had high sensitivity and specificity. However, no correlation was found with severity of diurnal drowse, sleep duration and age. SA risk was relatively high in patients with a history of snoring and nocturnal sleep apnea (2.95-2.79). The significance of the latter rose to 9.12-8.81 in SCF patients with normal myocardial mass index.
Conclusion. Subjective and objective sleep characteristics, except diurnal drowse, can be used for risk stratification in SCF patients with SA.

sleep apnea, cardiac failure, body mass, diurnal drowse