Altered breathing syndrome in heart failure: newer insights and treatment options

In patients with heart failure (HF), altered breathing patterns, including periodic breathing, Cheyne-Stokes breathing, and oscillatory ventilation, are seen in several situations. Since all forms of altered breathing cause similar detrimental effects on clinical outcomes, they may be considered collectively as an "altered breathing syndrome." Altered breathing syndrome should be recognized as a comorbid condition of HF and as a potential therapeutic target. In this review, we discuss mechanisms and therapeutic options of altered breathing while sleeping, while awake at rest, and during exercise.