VENTRICULAR LATE POTENTIALS AND SLEEP-APN EA SYNDROME

This prospective study in 37 patients evaluated the prevalence of vent ricular late potentials in sleep apnea syndrome, a condition associate d with an increased risk of ventricular rhythm disorders and sudden de ath. A comparative analysis was conducted among a group of patients co nsidered free of coronary heart disease and admitted for suspected sle ep apnea syndrome based on clinical symptoms and simple blood gas meas urements. The prevalence of ventricular late potentials was 56 % in th e subgroup with and 14 % in the subgroup without polygraphy evidence o f apnea (P < 0.01). The analysis of clinical, respiratory, and echocar diographic findings in the apneic subgroup failed to detect any factor s associated with the presence of ventricular late potentials. Only lo ng term follow-up studies involving invasive heart rhythm testing coul d define the prognostic significance of ventricular late potentials in sleep apnea syndrome. However, our data demonstrate that there is an association between ventricular late potentials and sleep apnea syndro me.