Natural History of Sleep-disordered Breathing during Rapid Eye Movement Sleep. Relevance for Incident Cardiovascular Disease

Rationale: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) occurring primarily during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is a common clinical problem. The natural history of REM-related SDB and the associated cardiovascular sequelae of disease progression remain to be determined. Objectives: The objective of the current study was to describe the natural history of REM-related SDB, ascertain predictors of progression, and determine whether the evolution of REM-related SDB into non-REM (NREM) sleep is associated with incident cardiovascular events. Methods: Participants from the Sleep Heart Health Study with a baseline NREM apnea–hypopnea index (NREM-AHI) of