Press Release
Associated Professional Sleep Societies
Sleep | 07/01/2005
Results of a study show that the use of continuous positive airway pressure, CPAP, to treat obstructive sleep apnea provides extra benefits for heart failure patients. CPAP treatment also lowers blood pressure and produces a fall in heart rate, which reduces the work load for the heart.
The study results are published in the June 21 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology .
The 17 patients involved in the study had moderate to severe OSA and were enrolled in a heart failure program at one of two hospitals. They were randomly assigned to either a CPAP treatment group or a control group.
The eight participants in the treatment group received CPAP therapy for one month. In addition to having fewer pauses in breathing during sleep, they also had lower levels of blood pressure and lower heart rates.
Obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, occurs when tissue in the upper throat collapses during sleep. This produces pauses in breathing that can occur a few times an hour or even hundreds of time per night. CPAP therapy keeps the airway open by providing a steady stream of air into the throat through a mask.
Common warning signs of OSA are loud and frequent snoring, choking or snorting sounds and pauses in breathing during sleep. Many people who suffer from OSA also have severe daytime sleepiness.
The authors note, however, that heart failure patients with OSA often do not report daytime sleepiness.
Although the brain remains active during sleep, the body tends to use this time to rest and renew itself. The authors report that OSA puts extra stress on the heart. This is a result of the pauses in breathing and changing oxygen levels caused by OSA
The authors note that their results do not indicate how CPAP therapy affects the long-term health of heart failure patients.
The American College of Cardiology is a 31,000-member nonprofit professional medical society and teaching institution.
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