The Sleep Heart Health Study: a progress report.
OBJECTIVE
The Sleep Heart Health Study began in 1994 as a prospective cohort study of cardiovascular disease. The results of longitudinal analysis are not yet available, but numerous analyses of cross-sectional data have been published. This review provides an overview of study results so far.


RESULTS
Recent findings covered in this review include a methodological study supporting the choice of a 4% oxyhemoglobin desaturation criterion for identification of hypopneas; evidence that sleepiness may modify the association of sleep apnea with hypertension; the association of sleep apnea with increased left ventricular mass in a pattern suggesting predominantly eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy; the association of restless legs syndrome with an increase in prevalent cardiovascular disease; and the results of a genome-wide association study of sleep and circadian phenotypes.


CONCLUSIONS
Although designed as a prospective cohort study, analysis of cross-sectional data from the Sleep Heart Health Study has contributed numerous insights to the field of sleep medicine.
Gottlieb
Daniel J
DJ
VA Boston Healthcare System and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118-2394, USA. gottlieb@bu.edu
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics*