Association between Frequency of Central Respiratory Events and Clinical Outcomes in Heart Failure Patients with Sleep Apnea

Heart failure (HF) is a progressive cardiac disorder associated with high mortality and morbidity. Previous studies have shown that sleep apnea (SA) is associated with a poor prognosis in HF patients. When HF coexists with SA, both central and obstructive respiratory events often occur. However, few studies have investigated the association between the frequency of central respiratory events coexisting with obstructive events and clinical outcomes in patients with HF and SA. This was a retrospective observational study. Patients with stable HF, defined as a left ventricular ejection fraction of ≤50%, New York Heart Association class ≥ II, and SA (apnea–hypopnea index of ≥15/h on overnight polysomnography) were enrolled. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death and hospitalization for HF. Overall, 144 patients were enrolled. During a period of 23.4 ± 16 months, 45.8% of patients experienced the outcome. The cumulative event-free survival rates were higher in the central SA-predominant group. Multivariate analyses showed that a greater percentage of central respiratory events was associated with an increased risk of clinical outcomes. In patients with HF and SA, the frequency of central respiratory events was an independent factor for all-cause death and hospitalization for HF.