title: The prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing among survivors of acute pulmonary embolism.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with prothrombotic effects that could lead to venous thromboembolic diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to clarify the prevalence of SDB among survivors of pulmonary embolism (PE).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred six consecutive PE patients were prospectively evaluated by portable monitoring (PM). Nocturnal polysomnography was performed in all subjects who were diagnosed by PM to have an apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) > 15/h or evidence of increased daytime sleepiness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall SDB prevalence in the study population was 58.5 %. Mild obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) was diagnosed in 35.8 % of patients. Of the subjects, 12.3 % suffered from moderate OSA. In 10.4 % of study participants, OSA was found to be severe. High-risk PE was significantly more frequent among subjects with an AHI > 15/h (p = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OSA is a common comorbidity of PE and possibly represents an additional risk factor for hemodynamic instability in PE patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Respiratory Medicine and Intensive Care, Klinikum Augsburg, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Stenglinstrasse 2, 86156, Augsburg, Germany. thomas.berghaus@klinikum-augsburg.de.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Berghaus
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Respiratory Medicine and Intensive Care, Klinikum Augsburg, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Stenglinstrasse 2, 86156, Augsburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Faul
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Respiratory Medicine and Intensive Care, Klinikum Augsburg, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Stenglinstrasse 2, 86156, Augsburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: von Scheidt
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Respiratory Medicine and Intensive Care, Klinikum Augsburg, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Stenglinstrasse 2, 86156, Augsburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwaiblmair
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012306:Risk; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Obstructive sleep apnoea; Pulmonary embolism; Risk stratification; Sleep-disordered breathing; Venous thromboembolic disease