Prevalence and clinical characteristics of sleep apnea in Chinese patients with heart failure

One hundred twenty-six eligible consecutive Chinese heart failure (HF) patients classified by New York Heart Association (NYHA) Classes Il-IV underwent historic data collection and a sleep study. Seventy-one percent of FfF patients were diagnosed with sleep apnea (SA), of which 65% were central sleep apnea (CSA) and 35% were obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Higher body mass index (BMI), metabolic syndrome, habitual snoring, and nocturia were independent risk factors for OSA; NYHA classes III and IV were independent risk factors for CSA in the HF patients. There was a high prevalence of SA in Chinese patients with HF. HF patients with obesity, metabolic syndrome, snoring, nocturia and NYHA classes III and IV were more susceptible to OSA and CSA. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.