Screening of Sleep Apnea by Holter Electrocardiography: Validation of Heart Rate Variability Analysis Algorithm

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a growing health concern affecting up to 60 % of population with cardiovascular disease. Despite the high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associated with this syndrome, the substantial inconvenience and cost of polysomnography recordings may delay routine evaluation. Polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard for diagnosis. However, this is a costly and time-consuming examination. Sympathoadrenergic balance obtained from the routine Holter monitoring suggesting the presence of OSAS, can enable patients to be guided and their PSGs to be primarily held.Abnormalities in nocturnal cyclical heart rate (HR) variations have previously been described in sleep-related breathing disorders. Compared with PSG, holter electrocardiogram has the advantages of pervasion, lower cost, no need for overnight hospitalization, greater similarity to normal conditions, and good compliance. The observation of changes in heart rate associated with apneic events has a potential to be used as an alternative technique for identification of subjects with OSAS. In regard to the feasibility of screening OSAS by HRV analysis by holter electrocardiogram monitoring, it has already been reported that a 24-h electrocardiographic monitoring might be useful to diagnose OSAS. It became a more feasible technique to use following the development of a convenient recorder for OSAS screening by analyzing changes in heart rate.