Sleep Disordered Breathing and Arrhythmias
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Sleep Disordered Breathing and Arrhythmias
IRAS ID
206240
Contact name
Jaswinder Gill
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
This study will aim to improve our understanding of the mechanism of dangerous heart rhythm disorders. Dangerous heart rhythm disorders are a major global health challenge and an improved understanding about their precise mechanism may improve treatment and improve our ability to identify at-risk patients. These rhythm disorders are caused by abnormalities in the electrical system on the inside of the heart, which can be measured from recording on the inside of the heart.
Evidence demonstrates that patients with sleep disordered breathing (e.g. Sleep apnoea) have a higher incidence of night time heart rhythm disorders and a higher incidence of sudden cardiac death. The precise mechanism for this is not fully understood. We hypothesise that this is due to changes in the natural electrical waves within the heart.
Patients recruited in this study will already be awaiting a sleep study as their clinicians will have decided that this was clinically indicated given their symptoms. They will also have a cardiac pacemaker inserted previously. The pacemaker will allow us to make non-invasive recordings of the electrical activity of the heart using the pacemaker leads that are already in place. This is routinely carried out in clinical practice. This will allow us to observe for changes in the local electrical activity during their sleep study.
REC name
South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/SW/0138
Date of REC Opinion
29 Jun 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion