Chronic heart failure (CHF) affects 1-2% of adults in developed countries, with up to 50% experiencing sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Sacubitril/valsartan (sac/val) has shown potential benefits on respiratory function, but its effect on SDB remains uncertain. This study aims to evaluates the effectiveness of sac/val on SDB and respiratory function in CHF patients. Electronic searches were conducted based on MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science using MeSH terms and relevant keywords. Apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and central apnea index (CAI) were used as primary outcome. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata 15.1 SE, with Cochrane Q and I² statistics used for heterogeneity assessment. Publication bias and sensitivity analyses were conducted using various methods. Risk of bias was assessed using the MINORS and ROB 2.0 tools. Seven studies met inclusion criteria. Results indicated that sac/val significantly reduced AHI (mean difference MD, -3.56; P < 0.001) and increased mean oxygen saturation (MD = 0.61; P < 0.001), although there was a modest rise in CAI (MD = 0.30; P = 0.049). The pooled analysis indicated a 22% reduction in CSA patients. The analysis demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in AHI and an improvement in SpO2 during sleep after using sac/val. While these findings suggest improvements in SDB, further high-quality research is needed to confirm these results and explore underlying mechanisms.
Kuang et al. (Tue,) studied this question.