Temporal association of ventricular arrhythmias and respiratory events in heart failure patients with central sleep apnoea.

In contrast to obstructive sleep apnoea, the peak of sympathetic tone in central sleep apnoea occurs during the hyperventilation phase. To explore the temporal association of premature ventricular complex (PVC) burden in the context of the apnoea/hypopnoea-hyperpnoea cycle, the duration of apnoea/hypopnoea was defined as 100 %. We assessed the PVC burden throughout the apnoea/hypopnoea-hyperpnoea cycle during the periods of ±150 % in 50 % increments before and after the apnoea/hypopnoea phase. In this subanalysis of 54 SERVE-HF patients, PVC burden was 32 % higher in the late hyperventilation period (50–100 % after apnoea/hypopnoea) compared to the apnoea/hypopnoea phase. • After a respiratory event, there was an increase of 32 % in ventricular arrhythmia. • Significant increase of heart rate reflecting sympathetic nervous activation. • More pronounced effect in patients with a lower hypoxaemic burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]