OBJECTIVETo understand the prevalence of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in elderly patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and explore the relations between SDB and CAD.

METHODSSixty-two elderly patients with and 18 without CAD identified by coronary angiography underwent examinations by polysomnography (PSG). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was measured by 99Tc equilibrium radionuclide angiography.

RESULTSIn the 62 elderly patients with CAD, 53.2% had SDB, a rate significantly higher that (22.2%) in the 18 non-CAD patients. The CAD patients with SDB had higher respiratory disturbance index (RDI) and body mass index (BMI) and lower arterial saturation of oxygen (SaO2) during sleep, with longer duration of low SPO2 (less that 90%). The incidence of hypertension was higher in CAD patients with SDB than in those without SDB. No significant correlation was found between the severity of coronary artery disease and RDI (r=-0.16, P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe elderly patients with CAD have higher incidence of SDB, and appropriate interventions should be administered in those with severe SDB.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China ; epidemiology ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polysomnography ; Prevalence ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; complications ; epidemiology ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo determine the prevalence of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in elderly patients with chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) and explore the relations between SDB and left ventricular function.

METHODSBy means of polysomnography, 56 elderly patients with CHF were divided into non-SDB, mild SDB, moderate SDB, and severe SDB groups, and the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was measure by (99)Tc equilibrium radionuclide angiography.

RESULTSIn the 56 elderly patients with CHF, 38 (67.9%) had SDB, including 12 (21.4%) mild SDB, 14 (25.0%) moderate SDB, and 12 (21.4%) severe SDB patients. Thirty (53.6%) of the 56 patients with CHF had obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), 4 (7.1%) had central sleep apnea and 22 (39.2%) had mixed sleep apnea. The moderate and severe SDB groups had lower minimum arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation during sleep than the non-SDB groups, and the apnea-hyponea index was closely related to LVEF (r=-0.74, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of SDB, predominantly OSA, is high in elderly patients with CHF. Moderate and severe SDB might affect the left ventricular function in these patients, who require polysomnography monitoring.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China ; epidemiology ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Heart Failure ; complications ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; complications ; epidemiology ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; physiopathology