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Objectives: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that severity of sleep apnea (SA), assessed by frequency of apneas and hypopneas per hour of sleep (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI]), is related to sodium intake in patients with heart failure (HF). Background: Dependent edema and overnight rostral fluid shift from the legs correlate with the AHI in patients with HF in whom excessive sodium intake can cause fluid retention. Methods: Sodium intake was estimated by food recordings in 54 HF patients who underwent overnight polysomnography. Results: Thirty-one of the 54 patients had SA, and their mean sodium intake was higher than that in those without SA (3.0 ± 1.2 g vs. 1.9 ± 0.8 g, p < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between the AHI and sodium intake (r = 0.522, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that the significant independent correlates of the AHI were sodium intake, male sex, and serum creatinine level. Conclusions: These findings suggest that in patients with HF, sodium intake plays a role in the pathogenesis of SA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic review was conducted to determine if mobile health (mHealth) interventions, and which intervention characteristics, effectively support dietary adherence and reduce risk factors in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Using 7 databases, studies involving adult participants with specific CVD diagnoses, mHealth intervention testing, and dietary adherence assessment were identified. Systematic reviews, qualitative studies, or studies testing interventions involving open dialogue between participants and health care providers or researchers were excluded. Two independent reviewers conducted screening and assessed the risk of bias. Thirteen studies involved participants with prehypertension (n = 1), hypertension (n = 9), coronary artery disease (n = 2), and heart failure (n = 1). mHealth interventions in 8 studies improved dietary adherence, 4 showed mixed results, and 1 showed no improvements. Eight studies found interactive text and/or application-based mHealth intervention features effectively improved dietary adherence. One study had a low risk of bias, 2 had some concerns/moderate risk, and 10 had a high/critical or serious risk. In most included studies, mHealth interventions positively impacted dietary adherence for patients with CVD. Clinicians may recommend mHealth interventions to support nutrition education and self-management for their patients with CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adherence to diet and medical therapies are key to improving heart failure (HF) outcomes; however, nonadherence is common. While mobile apps may be a promising way to support patients with adherence via education and monitoring, HF patient perspectives regarding the use of apps for HF management in unknown. This data is critical for these tools to be successfully developed, implemented, and adopted to optimize adherence and improve HF outcomes. Objective: To determine patients' needs, motivations, and challenges on the use of mobile apps to support HF management. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study using focus groups (n = 4,60 minutes) was conducted among HF patients from outpatient HF clinics in Toronto, Canada. The Diffusion of Innovation theory informed a ten-question interview guide. Interview transcripts were independently coded by two researchers and analyzed using content analysis. Results: Nineteen HF patients (65 ± 10 yrs, 12 men) identified a total of four key themes related to the use of mobile apps. The theme 'Factors impacting technology use by patients' identified motivations and challenges to app use, including access to credible information, easy and accessible user-interface. Three themes described patients' needs on the use of mobile apps to support HF management: 1) 'Providing patient support through access to information and self-monitoring', apps could provide education on HF-related content (e.g., diet, medication, symptoms); 2) 'Facilitating connection and communication', through information sharing with healthcare providers and connecting with other patients; 3) 'Patient preferences', app features such as reminders for medication, and visuals to show changes in HF symptoms were favoured. Conclusions: HF patients perceive several benefits and challenges to app use for HF self-management. Capitalizing on the benefits and addressing the challenges during the app development process may maximize adoption of such tools in this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]