Improvement of quality of life with nocturnal oxygen therapy in heart failure patients with central sleep apnea.

BACKGROUND: Previously, we reported the benefit of 12 weeks of home oxygen therapy (HOT) in patients with central sleep apnea (CSA) and heart failure (HF). In the present study, we attempted to confirm the sustained efficacy of HOT in the long term treatment.

METHODS AND RESULTS: In the present study, 51 patients with CSA and HF (New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classes II-III) were assigned to receive either nocturnal oxygen (HOT group n=26) or usual breathing (control group n=25) for 52 weeks. In the HOT group, greater reduction in apnea and hypopnea and greater increase in nocturnal oxygen saturation were observed. These changes were associated with greater improvement in the Specific Activity Scale (0.82 +/-1.17 vs -0.11 +/-0.73 Mets, P=0.009) in NYHA functional class (P=0.007) and in ejection fraction (5.45 +/-11.94 vs 1.28 +/-9.77%). There were no significant differences in the cardiac event rates; however, the later divergence favored the HOT group.

CONCLUSIONS: The 52-week HOT was well tolerated and the benefit observed in the 12-week trial was sustained over a prolonged period of time. HOT was considered to be a valuable non-pharmacological therapeutic addition for HF patients with CSA.