Predicting heart failure symptoms from the apnoea-hypopnoea index determined by full- night polysomnography

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is closely related to cardiovascular diseases. The higher the apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI), the higher the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases. Despite these findings suggesting a close link between SDB and heart failure, the relationship between the severity of SDB and the onset of heart failure symptoms in individuals without apparent heart failure symptoms (Heart Failure Stage A + B) remains poorly understood.

Between December 2010 and June 2017, we conducted full-night polysomnography (PSG) at the Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, extracting patients who were at risk of heart failure (Stage A or B in the Heart Failure Guidelines). Using a median cut-off of AHI ≥ 41.6 events/hour, we divided the patients into two groups and examined the composite endpoint of all-cause mortality plus hospitalization due to heart failure as the primary endpoint. We included 230 patients (mean age 63.0 ± 12.5 years, 78.3% males) meeting the selection criteria. When comparing the two groups, those with AHI < 41.6 events/hour (L group, n = 115) and those with AHI ≥ 41.6 events/hour (H group, n = 115), the H group had higher body mass index and higher serum triglyceride, and lower the frequency of acute coronary syndrome and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate than did the L group, but no other patient characteristics differed significantly. The H group had a significantly higher incidence of the composite endpoint than did the L group (10.6% vs. 2.6%, P = 0.027). Factors associated with the composite endpoint were identified through multivariate analyses, with AHI, haemoglobin, and left atrial dimension emerging as significant factors (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00-1.04, P = 0.024; HR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.54-0.94, P = 0.017; and HR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.03-1.18, P = 0.006, respectively). Conversely, the minimum SpO₂ during PSG (<80%) was not associated with the composite endpoint.

In patients with SDB who are at risk of heart failure, severe SDB is associated with a high risk of all-cause mortality and the development of heart failure. Additionally, combining cardiac echocardiography and PSG data may improve risk stratification, offering potential assistance for early intervention. Further examination with a validation cohort is necessary.