Severe sleep-disordered breathing is linked to the development of heart failure, but the use of sleep apnea devices may minimize the risk, according to research conducted in Japan. Photo by Zboralski/Wikimedia

Feb. 21 (UPI) -- The development of heart failure is linked to severe sleep-disordered breathing but treatment may minimize the risk, according to research conducted in Japan.

Researchers found the severity of sleep-disordered breathing affects the stiffening of the arteries' walls, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal ESC Heart Failure.


Resaerchers suggest using continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, devices to treat obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep-related breathing abnormalities.

"We hope that CPAP may improve not only hypertension but also arterial stiffness, and lead to improvements in the prognosis of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction," said co-author Dr. Akiomi Yoshihisa, of Fukushima Medical University, in Japan.

For the study, they enrolled 221 participants, including 157 men, with heart failures who were hospitalized at Fukushima Medical University Hospital between March 2011 and April 2015. The mean age was 64.5 years old.

They were divided into three groups based on the severity of sleep disordered breathing.

Pulse wave velocity was significantly higher in the severe sleep-deprive group than in the none-to-mild and moderate SDB groups.

All subjects underwent overnight full polysomnography or were examined by portable recording Type III device with the use of standard techniques.

In the study, 70 patients were found to have diastolic heart failure, known as preserved ejection fraction, or HFpEF, and 151 were found to have systolic heart failure, called reduced ejection fraction, or HFrEF.

Those with HFpEF have poor prognosis to heart failure, researchers report.

Study participants with systolic heart failure were found to be older, more of them were female, had higher body mass, higher systolic blood pressure, lower prevalence of diabetes mellitus, higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation and lower prevalence heart disease.