Outcome of patients with sleep apnea-associated severe bradyarrhythmias after continuous positive airway pressure therapy.

Twenty-nine patients in whom severe bradyarrhythmias occurred exclusively during obstructive sleep apnea and in whom advanced sinus node disease or atrioventricular conduction system dysfunction had been excluded by invasive electrophysiologic evaluation were prospectively followed on nasal continuous positive airway pressure. During 54 +/- 10 months follow-up, no syncope and no sudden deaths were observed, suggesting that patients with sleep apnea-associated bradyarrhythmias and a normal electrophysiologic study appear to have a favorable prognosis with continuous positive airway pressure.