An implanted
device can significantly improve symptoms in people with central sleep apnea –
a condition in which the brain fails to control breathing during sleep. Central
sleep apnea is a serious concern because it affects about a third of people
with heart failure and it is known to make the condition worse. Currently, we don’t
have good treatment available. Positive airway pressure devices have been used,
but many patients don’t tolerate them well and a recent study showed them to be
harmful. The researchers tested the safety and effectiveness of a transvenous
phrenic nerve stimulator in 31 hospitals in US, Germany and Poland. Much like a
pacemaker; it sends a regular signal telling the diaphragm to breathe during
sleep.
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