Purpose

Sleep disordered breathing in decompensated heart failure has physiological consequences (e.g., intermittent hypoxemia) that may predispose to subclinical myocardial injury, yet a temporal relationship between sleep apnea and troponin elevation has not been established.

Methods

We assessed the feasibility of performing respiratory polygraphy and measuring overnight high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T change in adults admitted to the hospital with acutely decompensated heart failure. Repeat sleep apnea tests (SATs) were performed to determine response to optimal medical heart failure therapy. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify associations between absolute overnight troponin change and sleep apnea characteristics.

Results

Among the 19 subjects with acutely decompensated heart failure, 92% of SATs demonstrated sleep disordered breathing (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] > 5 events/h). For those with repeat SATs, AHI increased in 67% despite medical management of heart failure. Overnight troponin increase was associated with moderate to severe sleep apnea (vs. no to mild sleep apnea, odds ratio (OR = 18.4 [1.51-224.18]), central apnea index (OR = 1.11 [1.01-1.22]), and predominantly central sleep apnea (vs. obstructive, OR = 22.9 [1.29-406.32]).

Conclusions

Sleep apnea severity and a central apnea pattern may be associated with myocardial injury. Respiratory polygraphy with serial biomarker assessment is feasible in this population, and combining this approach with interventions (e.g., positive airway pressure) may help establish if a link exists between sleep apnea and subclinical myocardial injury.