Sleep Disordered Breathing, Daytime Symptoms, and Functional Performance in Stable Heart Failure

Study Objectives: To evaluate characteristics of sleep disordered breathing (SDB); clinical and demographic correlates of SOB; and the extent to which SOB explains functional performance and symptoms in stable heart failure patients receiving care in structured HF disease management programs. Design: Cross-sectional, observational study. Setting: Structured heart failure disease management programs. Participants: 170 stable chronic heart failure patients (mean age = 60.3 +/- 16.8 years; n = 60 [35%] female; n = 50 [29%] African American; left ventricular ejection fraction mean = 32 +/- 14.6). Interventions: N/A Measurements and results: Full polysomnography was obtained for one night on participants in their homes. Participants completed the 6-minute walk, 3 days of actigraphy, MOS-SF 36, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Multi-Dimensional Assessment of Fatigue Scale, and the Centers for the Epidemiological Studies of Depression Scale. Fifty-one percent had significant SDB; Sixteen (9%) of the total sample had central sleep apnea. Severe SOB was associated with a 4-fold increase in the likelihood of poor self-reported physical function (OR = 4.15, 95%CI= 1.19-14.57) and CSA was associated with low levels of daytime mobility (OR = 4.09, 95%CI= 1.23-13.62) after controlling for clinical and demographic variables. There were no statistically significant relationships between SOB and daytime symptoms or self-reported sleep, despite poorer objective sleep quality in patients with SOB. Conclusions: Severe SOB is associated with poor physical function in patients with stable HF but not with daytime symptoms or self-reported sleep, despite poorer objective sleep quality in patients with SOB.