Heart Function in patients assessed for Sleep Apnoea
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Heart Function in patients assessed for Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB).
IRAS ID
228728
Contact name
Martin R Cowie
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 8 months, 0 days
Research summary
Daytime sleepiness, fatigue and feeling unrefreshed on waking are typical symptoms of sleep disordered breathing (SDB). Sleep study tests, performed either in hospital or at home, readily allow confirmation of the diagnosis. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and central sleep apnoea (CSA) are two types of SDB. The final results of both are recurrent pauses or reduced airflow during the breathing of the patient. This can have several adverse consequences, particularly on the cardiovascular system.
Risk factors for SDB, including older age, male sex and obesity, are similar to those well established for heart disease. It is also known that SDB is common in patients with cardiovascular conditions, particularly heart failure. Whilst performing a sleep study test allows accurate diagnosis of SDB, it does not address potential underlying heart disease in the same patient.
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is one such example. HFpEF can be challenging to diagnose as often symptoms can be non-specific, there is no unifying diagnostic test and other co-existent conditions can mask its presence. There are, however, similarities in the characteristics of patients with HFpEF and SDB. It is therefore hypothesised, that in a group of patients being investigated for SDB, we can identify a subset of patients with unrecognised HFpEF.
In this study we aim to recruit 155 patients who have been referred for respiratory polygraphy (sleep study test), and are symptomatic or at risk of SDB, as part of their usual clinical care. They will be evaluated with a clinical assessment, symptom questionnaires, biomarkers (a blood test for N-terminal pro-BNP) and cardiac investigations including an ECG and echocardiogram. We aim to determine the prevalence of patients with diagnostic criteria for HFpEF and examine the relationship with SDB. We will also collect prognostic data on hospitalisations and mortality over a 12 month period.
REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SC/0320
Date of REC Opinion
10 Jul 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion