Sleep Apnea and Heart Failure-Current State-of-The-Art

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pulmonology
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is prevalent in heart failure (HF) patients.
• SDB exacerbates HF via adverse cardiovascular mechanisms.
• SDB in HF is often underdiagnosed and underappreciated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the relationship between SDB and HF.
• To explore pathophysiological mechanisms, diagnostic challenges, and treatment effectiveness.
• To synthesize literature on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) for SDB in HF.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles.
• Searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases.
• Analysis of studies published between 2003 and 2024.

Main Results:

• High prevalence of SDB in HF patients.
• CPAP and ASV can mitigate HF symptoms and improve cardiac function.
• Significant challenges in SDB screening and diagnosis persist in HF patients.

Conclusions:

• SDB significantly impacts HF prognosis.
• Enhanced screening and broader use of CPAP/ASV are crucial for HF patient management.
• Future research should refine diagnostic and treatment protocols for HF with SDB.