| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2958443 | Journal of Cardiac Failure | 2015 | 6 Pages |
•In the present study, the effect of lying in a semirecumbent (45-degree elevated) sleep position on the severity of sleep apnea was evaluated in patients with heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. We observed highly significant decrease in the indicators of sleep apnea severity, including apnea-hypopnea index and oxygen desaturation index, while sleeping semirecumbently compared with lying flat.•Nocturnal oxygen saturations improved, the percentages of stage N3 and REM sleep increased, and stage N2 decreased, that is, the sleep architecture improved with semirecumbent sleeping.•These findings suggest that semirecumbent sleeping may be a promising therapeutic option in the management of heart failure-related sleep apnea.
BackgroundOvernight rostral leg fluid displacement in heart failure (HF) patients is related to the high prevalence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). We hypothesized that rostral fluid shift would decrease in a semirecumbent (45-degree elevated) position, and evaluated the effect of semirecumbent sleeping on severity of sleep apnea in HF patients with OSAS.Methods and ResultsDemographic, anthropometric characteristics, and medical history of 30 consecutive patients with HF and OSAS were recorded. The patients underwent 2 polysomnographic procedures within 1 week: 1 while lying flat and the other in a semirecumbent position. Out of 30 patients (mean age 54.7 ± 10.2, 26 men), 16 (53.3%) were obese and 29 (96.7%) had comorbidities other than HF. Mean apnea-hypopnea index was 30.8 ± 20.7 events/h while lying flat which decreased to 17.8 ± 12.1 events/h in semirecumbent position (P < .0001). Similarly, oxygen desaturation index decreased from 22.3 ± 19.8 to 12.7 ± 11.5 events/h (P < .0001), and the percentage of sleep time with oxygen saturation (SpO2) <90% (P = .036) and lowest SpO2 (P = .004) were improved in the semirecumbent position. Furthermore, the percentage of stage N2 sleep decreased from 47.0% while lying flat to 39.6% (P = .014).ConclusionsThe present findings support that the severity of OSAS decreased significantly in a semirecumbent sleep position in patients with HF. Therefore, semirecumbent sleeping may be a promising therapeutic option in the management of HF-related sleep apnea.
