Adults sleeping on back potentially bad for heart
London, UK - 30 August 2015: A new study, to be featured at the ESC Congress 2015 (August 29 to September 2 in London), suggests a connection between the way we sleep and the incidence of fatal arrhythmias in patients with heart failure who also suffer from sleep apnoea. The latter is a very common condition and an important risk factor for a number of cardiovascular conditions including coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure.
Sleep apnoea sufferers frequently stop breathing while they are asleep, blocking air to their lungs. The subsequent lack of oxygen in their blood stream means there is no oxygen circulating between the organs. This can have serious effects on those patients already suffering from heart failure.
According to researchers from Ege University in Izmir, Turkey, who conducted a series of tests in 30 patients with heart failure and sleep apnoea, sleeping in a semi recumbent position (at a 45-degree angle on the back) reduces the risk of developing cardiac arrhythmias when compared to sleeping in the supine position (lying flat on your back). Cardiac arrhythmias are believed to cause sudden cardiac death in these particular patients.
The study also confirmed that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a breathing machine that helps maintain air pressure in the airways, is the best treatment for sleep apnoea and reduces the risk of developing cardiac arrhythmias.
“In patients with heart failure, sleep apnoea can become more frequent and given the vulnerability of the heart, sleep apnoea is a potential trigger for a number of events, including sudden cardiac death,” said Dr Francesco Cappuccio, Cephalon Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine & Epidemiology and Consultant Physician at the University of Warwick in Coventry.2
Heart failure puts significant pressure on the UK health system. In 2012/2013, 44,000 hospital admissions for acute heart failure were reported in England and Wales alone, and many patients presented with multiple conditions, such as ischaemic heart disease, hypertension, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia and diabetes.
“Unlike sleeping in the supine position, sleeping at a 45-degree angle on the back could be beneficial, as there will be less pressure on the airways,” Cappuccio pointed out. (Figure 1)
The study highlights the link between congestive heart failure and sleep apnoea, and suggests possible mitigating preventive strategies for fatal complications.
However, the findings must be interpreted in light of the fact that this was not a randomised trial. Further research in randomised controlled clinical trials is necessary to confirm the causality of these preliminary clinical observations.
Sleep apnoea sufferers frequently stop breathing while they are asleep, blocking air to their lungs. The subsequent lack of oxygen in their blood stream means there is no oxygen circulating between the organs. This can have serious effects on those patients already suffering from heart failure.
According to researchers from Ege University in Izmir, Turkey, who conducted a series of tests in 30 patients with heart failure and sleep apnoea, sleeping in a semi recumbent position (at a 45-degree angle on the back) reduces the risk of developing cardiac arrhythmias when compared to sleeping in the supine position (lying flat on your back). Cardiac arrhythmias are believed to cause sudden cardiac death in these particular patients.
The study also confirmed that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a breathing machine that helps maintain air pressure in the airways, is the best treatment for sleep apnoea and reduces the risk of developing cardiac arrhythmias.
“In patients with heart failure, sleep apnoea can become more frequent and given the vulnerability of the heart, sleep apnoea is a potential trigger for a number of events, including sudden cardiac death,” said Dr Francesco Cappuccio, Cephalon Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine & Epidemiology and Consultant Physician at the University of Warwick in Coventry.2
Heart failure puts significant pressure on the UK health system. In 2012/2013, 44,000 hospital admissions for acute heart failure were reported in England and Wales alone, and many patients presented with multiple conditions, such as ischaemic heart disease, hypertension, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia and diabetes.
“Unlike sleeping in the supine position, sleeping at a 45-degree angle on the back could be beneficial, as there will be less pressure on the airways,” Cappuccio pointed out. (Figure 1)
The study highlights the link between congestive heart failure and sleep apnoea, and suggests possible mitigating preventive strategies for fatal complications.
However, the findings must be interpreted in light of the fact that this was not a randomised trial. Further research in randomised controlled clinical trials is necessary to confirm the causality of these preliminary clinical observations.