RESUMEN
Background: The SERVE-HF trial investigated the effect of treating central sleep apnoea (CSA) with adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Objective: The aim of the present ancillary analysis of the SERVE-HF major substudy (NCT01164592) was to assess the effects of ASV on the burden of nocturnal ventricular arrhythmias as one possible mechanism for sudden cardiac death in ASV-treated patients with HFrEF and CSA. Methods: Three hundred twelve patients were randomized in the SERVE-HF major substudy [no treatment of CSA (control) vs. ASV]. Polysomnography including nocturnal ECG fulfilling technical requirements was performed at baseline, and at 3 and 12 months. Premature ventricular complexes (events/h of total recording time) and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia were assessed. Linear mixed models and generalized linear mixed models were used to analyse differences between the control and ASV groups, and changes over time. Results: From baseline to 3- and 12-month follow-up, respectively, the number of premature ventricular complexes (control: median 19.7, 19.0 and 19.0; ASV: 29.1, 29.0 and 26.0 events/h; p = 0.800) and the occurrence of ≥1 non-sustained ventricular tachycardia/night (control: 18, 25, and 18% of patients; ASV: 24, 16, and 24% of patients; p = 0.095) were similar in the control and ASV groups. Conclusion: Addition of ASV to guideline-based medical management had no significant effect on nocturnal ventricular ectopy or tachyarrhythmia over a period of 12 months in alive patients with HFrEF and CSA. Findings do not further support the hypothesis that ASV may lead to sudden cardiac death by triggering ventricular tachyarrhythmia.
RESUMEN
Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR) may trigger ventricular arrhythmia in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and central sleep apnoea (CSA). This study determined the prevalence and predictors of a high nocturnal ventricular arrhythmia burden in patients with HFrEF and CSA (with and without CSR) and to evaluate the temporal association between CSR and the ventricular arrhythmia burden. This cross-sectional ancillary analysis included 239 participants from the SERVE-HF major sub-study who had HFrEF and CSA, and nocturnal ECG from polysomnography. CSR was stratified in ≥20% and <20% of total recording time (TRT). High burden of ventricular arrhythmia was defined as >30 premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) per hour of TRT. A sub-analysis was performed to evaluate the temporal association between CSR and ventricular arrhythmias in sleep stage N2. High ventricular arrhythmia burden was observed in 44% of patients. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, male sex, lower systolic blood pressure, non-use of antiarrhythmic medication and CSR ≥20% were significantly associated with PVCs >30·h-1 (OR 5.49, 95% CI 1.51-19.91, p=0.010; OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-1.00, p=0.017; OR 5.02, 95% CI 1.51-19.91, p=0.001; and OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.22-4.05, p=0.009; respectively). PVCs occurred more frequently during sleep phases with versus without CSR (median (interquartile range): 64.6 (24.8-145.7) versus 34.6 (4.8-75.2)·h-1 N2 sleep; p=0.006). Further mechanistic studies and arrhythmia analysis of major randomised trials evaluating the effect of treating CSR on ventricular arrhythmia burden and arrhythmia-related outcomes are warranted to understand how these data match with the results of the parent SERVE-HF study.