Journal article
Effect of theophylline on sleep-disordered breathing in heart failure
The New England journal of medicine, Vol.335(8), pp.562-567
1996
DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199608223350805
PMID: 8678934
Abstract
Background: Theophylline has been used to treat central apnea associated with Cheyne-Stokes respiration (periodic breathing). We studied the effect of short-term oral theophylline therapy on periodic breathing associated with stable heart failure due to systolic dysfunction.
Methods: Fifteen men with compensated heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction, 45 percent or less) participated in the study. Their base-line polysomnograms showed periodic breathing, with more than 10 episodes of apnea and hypopnea per hour. In a double-blind crossover study, the patients received theophylline or placebo orally twice daily for five days, with one week of washout between the two periods.
Results: After five days of treatment, the mean (+/-SD) plasma theophylline concentration was 11 +/- 2 microgram per milliliter. Theophylline therapy resulted in significant decreases in the number of episodes of apnea and hypopnea per hour (18 +/- 17, vs. 37 +/- 23 with placebo and 47 +/- 21 at base line; P<0.001), the number of episodes of central apnea per hour (6 +/- 14, vs. 26 +/- 21 and 26 +/- 20, respectively; P<0.001), and the percentage of total sleep time during which the arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation was less than 90 percent (6 +/- 11 percent, vs., 23 +/- 37 and 14 +/- 14 percent, respectively; P<0.04). There were no significant differences in the characteristics of sleep, the frequency of ventricular arrhythmias, daytime arterial-blood gas values, or the left ventricular ejection fraction during the base-line, placebo, and theophylline phases of the study.
Conclusions: In patients with stable heart failure, oral theophylline therapy reduced the number of episodes of apnea and hypopnea and the duration of arterial oxyhemoglobin desaturation during sleep.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Effect of theophylline on sleep-disordered breathing in heart failure
- Creators
- S JAVAHERI - Pulmonary Section, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, United StatesT. J PARKER - Pulmonary Section, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, United StatesL WEXLER - University of CincinnatiJ. D LIMING - Pulmonary Section, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, United StatesP LINDOWER - Cardiology Section, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, United StatesG. A ROSELLE - Medical Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, United States
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The New England journal of medicine, Vol.335(8), pp.562-567
- DOI
- 10.1056/NEJM199608223350805
- PMID
- 8678934
- NLM abbreviation
- N Engl J Med
- ISSN
- 0028-4793
- eISSN
- 1533-4406
- Publisher
- Massachusetts Medical Society
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 1996
- Academic Unit
- Radiology; Cardiovascular Medicine; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984094734902771
Metrics
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