- In addition to its association with congestive heart failure, obesity with OSA, and high altitude, central sleep apnea is associated with a number of other medical conditions, including strokes, muscular disorders, brainstem and spinal cord disorders, acromegaly, hypothyroidism, Marfan’s Syndrome and opioid dependence.
- Sleep-disordered breathing occurs with increased prevalence in patients with atrial fibrillation and good left ventricular systolic function. In one study, sleep-disordered breathing was documented in 74% of all patients with atrial fibrillation (43% had OSA and 31% had CSA).
- ‘Ondine’s curse’ or, more preferably, congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) is a rare disorder where patients appear to breathe reasonably well while awake but severely hypoventilate and/or become apneic during sleep. CCHS patients will require lifelong mechanical-assisted ventilation while asleep, as they do not outgrow this disorder.
