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Daytime cardiac repolarization in patients with obstructive sleep apnea
Abu Shamsuzzaman1,2, Raouf S Amin3, Christelle van der Walt4
1Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, MLC 2021 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA. Abu.Shamsuzzaman@cchmc.org.
Sleep & Breathing = Schlaf & Atmung
|March 5, 2015
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is linked to prolonged daytime QT intervals, increasing arrhythmia risk. This study found significantly longer corrected QT (QTc) in OSA patients compared to controls, suggesting repolarization abnormalities.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Sleep Medicine
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with cardiovascular complications like arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD).
- Prolonged QT interval, a marker for arrhythmias, is linked to OSA during sleep but its persistence during wakefulness is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether daytime QT intervals are prolonged in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
- To determine if OSA is associated with chronic QT prolongation during normoxic daytime wakefulness.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 97 newly diagnosed OSA patients (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] ≥5 events/h) and 168 healthy controls (AHI <5 events/h).
- Measured daytime resting QT and RR intervals from electrocardiograms to calculate heart rate-corrected QT intervals (QTc).
Main Results:
- OSA patients were older, heavier, and had higher heart rates, AHI, arousal index, and lower oxygen saturation during sleep.
- Resting daytime QTc was significantly increased in OSA patients (males: 410±3.3, females: 433±5.6) compared to controls (males: 399±2.9, females: 417±2.9) after adjusting for age and BMI.
Conclusions:
- Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with a significant increase in resting daytime corrected QT interval (QTc) in both men and women.
- Elevated resting daytime QTc in OSA patients may contribute to an increased propensity for ventricular arrhythmias due to cardiac repolarization abnormalities.
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