Adaptive ventilation improved complex sleep apnea in CHF patients

Bitter et al performed CPAP titration on 192 patients with congestive heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea, unmasking residual central sleep apnea (so-called complex sleep apnea) in 34 (18%). Providing adaptive servoventilation (dynamic delivery of pressure support to achieve a target minute ventilation) improved AHI, NYHA class, BNP levels, ejection fraction, and other variables, at ~1 year follow-up. Authors say this is the first cohort study of patients with complex sleep apnea and CHF. Thorax 2011;66:402-407.