Sleep apnea: before and after heart transplant.

Sleep disorder breathing is a highly prevalent public health problem and is common among patients with cardio and cerebrovascular diseases. Respiratory events are associated with numerous consequences, such as the hyperadrenergic state, known as a predictor of premature mortality in patients with heart failure. On the other hand, reduced stroke volume is associated with fluid retention in patients with heart failure, leading to changes in the upper airflow dynamics. Whether and how to treat sleep disorder breathing enables chronic cardiovascular consequences to be reversed is not fully established. Few cases are known where sleep disordered breathing diagnosis was made several years before heart transplantation. To better understand how does sleep apnea evolve and to ponder about what is the best treatment approach in this context, is the objective with this case presentation.