![]() In a review published October 1, 2022, in the American Journal of Cardiology, researchers concluded that the Remede System (produced by Respicardia Inc.), which is currently the only FDA-approved phrenic nerve stimulation device for sleep apnea on the market, can safely and effectively treat moderate to severe sleep apnea in heart disease patients and improve quality of life. A study published in June 2018 in J AMA Cardiology found that CPAP helped patients treated for atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder, maintain a normal heart rhythm.Ī newer treatment option for central sleep apnea is phrenic nerve stimulation, an implantable device that stimulates the phrenic nerve. “In some of the patients who have this treatment, we see improvement of the ejection fraction, which is the pumping function of the heart, and there’s even some data to support that arrhythmias may be decreased by this intervention as well,” says Markham. In cases of OSA, a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine or other treatment may be prescribed. “Whenever one of my patients has heart failure, I always send them for a sleep evaluation, but it’s low-hanging fruit to improve heart failure by checking for sleep apnea,” Freeman says. Get screened for sleep apnea. Since sleep apnea is so common among people with heart failure, screening for OSA is a good place to start. “And all these activities are detrimental to heart failure control.” “Both conditions can result in a periodic drop in blood oxygen levels, which increase the adrenaline levels in the body and result in awakening,” says Dr. Both OSA and CSA interrupt nighttime breathing and contribute to daytime fatigue. “In some heart failure cases, you can have one or the other, or both,” says David Markham, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta and an expert in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology. Less common is central sleep apnea (CSA), which tends to affect those with more severe cases of heart failure, and men in particular, says Rami Khayat, MD, a pulmonologist and sleep medicine expert with UCI Health in Orange, California, who works with cardiac patients. There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common type in which the muscles in the back of the throat collapse too much during sleep, partially or completely blocking the airway. Sleep apnea is present in up to 52 percent of heart failure patients, according to the American College of Cardiology. Here’s the rundown on common sleep disturbances associated with heart failure and what you can do to get a good night’s sleep and feel better.Ĥ Common Heart Failure-Related Sleep Stealers and How to Fix Them 1. If you wake up feeling not refreshed, you have daytime sleepiness or if you need to curtail your daytime activity because of lack of energy, these could be signs your heart failure isn’t being managed as well as it could be, Dr. Undertreated or untreated sleep apnea, for example, can potentially cause heart failure, and those with heart failure may have undertreated sleep apnea,” says Andrew Freeman, MD, a cardiologist with National Jewish Health in Denver. “There’s an intricate interplay between sleep disorders and heart failure. A study published in May 2021 in Nursing Reports found that over 75 percent of patients with heart failure experience sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia, waking up throughout the night, and restless legs syndrome, which can steal opportunities for peaceful slumber. ![]() But for people living with heart failure, a good night’s sleep may be only a dream. For overall health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone get seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Restful sleep is paramount to living well with heart failure.
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