Abstract: Objective To monitor the prevalence of sleep apnea in the inpatients with chronic heart failure and investigate whether sleep apnea affects heart function.Methods 68 inpatients with symptomatic chronic heart failure(CHF) in NYHA functional classesⅡ to Ⅳ and LVEF less than and/or equal 50%,were divided into two groups with polysomnography: inpatients with CHF and SA(apnea-hypopnea-index,AHI≥5 episodes per hour) and inpatients with CHF without SA(apnea-hypopnea-index,AHI<5 episodes per hour).Results 42 patients had sleep apnea in 68 patients with CHF.Central sleep apnea was in majority.PaCO₂、LSaO₂ and LVEF were lower in patients with SA compared with those without SA.Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was longer(P=0.000,P=0.000,P=0.007,P=0.000,respectively).By logistic regression analysis: PaCO₂,LSaO₂ and LVEF of the SA group were lower(P=0.006,P=0.003,P=0.040).Conclusion Inpatients with CHF usually suffer from central sleep apnea.Sleep apnea decreases oxygen saturation,aggravates hypoxia and brings about the significant adverse effects on heart function of inpatients with CHF.

Key words: sleep apnea, chronic heart failure