Relationship of heart rate variability to sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea with and without heart failure.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Many patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) do not complain of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), possibly due to increased sympathetic nervous activity (SNA) and accompanying heightened alertness. We hypothesized that in patients with OSA, those without subjective EDS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale, ESS score < 11) would have higher very low frequency (VLF) heart rate variability (HRV) during sleep, reflecting greater sympathetic heart rate modulation than patients with an ESS score ≥ 11.

Methods

Patients with severe OSA (AHI ≥ 30: 26 with and 65 without heart failure) were divided into those with and without EDS. Heart rate (HR) signals were acquired in stage 2 sleep during periods of recurrent apneas and hypopneas and submitted to coarse graining spectr

SUBMITTER: Taranto Montemurro L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3927432 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature