How Does Sleep Apnea Affect Heart Failure Outcomes?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common among individuals with diastolic heart failure (DHF), according to a new study. DHF was also diagnosed at a younger age in those with OSA.

The results of the study were presented at the American Thoracic Society’s 2018 International Conference on May 20.

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To conduct their study, the researchers assessed data from more than 19 million patients aged 30 to 85 years who had at least 2 inpatient or emergency department visits with a primary diagnosis of DHF.

The Causal Inference Using Composition of Transitions (CICT) method was used to determine the relationship between OSA and DHF, and time-to-event analyses were performed using parametric Cox proportional hazard models and the non-parametric maximum likelihood estimator (NPMLE).

Of 327,631 participants diagnosed with DHF, 59% also had OSA.

The CICT analysis showed a strong association between OSA and DHF.

After adjusting for gender, smoking status, obesity, diabetes, and renal insufficiency, the Cox analysis revealed a 1.28 hazard ratio for DHF in patients with OSA compared with those without OSA.

Results of the NPMLE analysis showed that participants with OSA received a diagnosis of DHF about 7.5 years earlier than those without OSA.

In addition, at age 75, 44% of participants without OSA no longer had DHF, vs 22% of those with OSA.

“These findings support the need to assess the impact of OSA, and its treatment, on outcomes in DHF patients,” the researchers concluded. “…OSA may serve as a novel therapeutic target in DHF.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Zinchuk A, Yaggi K, Wenlan Z, Siner JM, Shojaee A. Obstructive sleep apnea increases the risk of diastolic heart failure: results of a large population study. Paper presented at: ATS 2018 International Conference; May 18-23, 2018; San Diego, CA. http://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/4499/presentation/22097. Accessed May 1, 2018.

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