This study characterized sleep in heart failure (HF) and determined associations with quality of life. Forty stable HF patients and 34 healthy volunteers were studied in a clinical research unit. HF patients had more central apneas per hour (17.6 vs 5.4; P< or =.01) and obstructive apneas per hour (21.7 vs 8.5; P< or =.05), spent more time in stage 1 sleep (54 vs 35 min; P< or =.05), and had more respiratory awakenings following apneic events (27.2 vs 4.2; P< or =.01). More HF patients were depressed (55% vs 27.2%; P< or =.01) and had worse fatigue (P< or =.05). In multiple regression analysis, physical functioning quality of life was predicted by reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (P< or =.05), shorter distance on a 6-minute walk test (P< or =.05), greater fatigue (P< or =.01), and more apneas ( P< or =.05) (model R(2)=.672; P< or =.001). Emotional functioning quality of life was predicted by greater fatigue (P< or =.01) (model adjusted R(2)=.732; P<.001). Findings provide evidence that in addition to functional status and ongoing fatigue, poorer quality of life in HF is independently related to the severity of sleep-disordered breathing.
2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.