The Role of Sleep Apnea in the Acute Exacerbation of Heart Failure

This study will evaluate whether treating sleep apnea while in the hospital would help heart failure, and assist recovery from the worsening of the heart function more than the current clinical standard of waiting for treatment until the subject have left the hospital. Heart failure affects more than 2% of the US population and is the only cardiovascular disorder with rising incidence. The annual cost of CHF in 2005 was $ 27.9 billion, large percentage of which is the cost of hospitalizations for exacerbation of CHF. Half of patients with CHF have some form of sleep apnea, and most of them go undiagnosed. Patients with CHF and OSA benefit from treatment with CPAP as an outpatient. The society can benefit from developing recommendations for approaching sleep apnea in the hospitalized CHF patient, which may shorten length of stay, improve functional status of discharged patient, and reduce rehospitalizations.