Abstract

Cheyne - Stokes respiration (CSR) is common in patients (pts) with chronic heart failure (CHF) and accompanied by an impaired prognosis. Nocturnal adaptive servoventilation (ASV) was recently introduced to treat CSR in CHF. Aim of this study was the investigation of long-term ASV effects on CSR and CHF parameters. In 41 pts with CHF treated according to current guidelines (39 male; 64.8 ± 10years, NYHA ≥ II, LV-EF ≤ 40%) cardiorespiratory polygraphy (PG), cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) testing and echocardiography was performed before and after 11.6 ± 5.9 months (median 10.3 months) of ASV treatment (AutoSet CS ™ 2, ResMed). In our cohort, mean duration of ASV usage during night was 6:25 ± 1:08 h, while the device was used in 82 ± 21% of possible nights. Apnea-hypopnea-index and apnea-index were reduced from 38.2 ± 11/h to 5.5 ± 7/h and 24.2 ± 14/h to 2.5 ± 5/h, respectively (both p < 0.001). Minimum oxygen saturation rose from 81.4 ± 4.9% to 85.6 ± 4.3% (p < 0.001) while mean oxygen desaturation was reduced from 6.8 ± 2.5% to 4.6 ± 1.8% (p < 0.001). Peak oxygen consumption (VO 2 ) during CPX testing increased from 15.2 ± 3.7ml/kg/min to 17.1 ± 4.7ml/kg/min and predicted peak VO 2 from 60.1 ± 13% to 68.5 ± 18% (both p < 0.05). Left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 29.9 ± 6.6% to 33.3 ± 10.6% (p < 0.05). In selected and compliant pts with CHF and CSR, addition of nocturnal ASV therapy to standard heart failure therapy is able to abolish CSR and improve cardiac function. Whether this improvement in SDB and CHF parameters is accompanied with an improvement in CHF prognosis is not yet known.

Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call