Exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias: analysis of predictive factors in a population with sleep disorders.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of ventricular arrhythmias induced by exercise in a population with sleep disorders and to analyze the triggering factors.

Methods: Patients were consecutively selected from the database of the Sleep Clinic of Universidade Federal de São Paulo. All subjects were submitted to basal polysomnography, blood sample collection, physical examination, 12-lead ECG, spirometry, cardiorespiratory exercise study on a treadmill, and echocardiogram. The Control Group was matched for age and gender.

Results: A total of 312 patients were analyzed. Exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmia was observed in 7%. The aortic diameter was larger (3.44 ± 0.30, 3.16 ± 0.36, p = 0.04) and the minimal saturation was lower (92.75 ± 3.05, 95.50 ± 1.73, p=0.01) in the ventricular arrhythmia group when compared to controls, respectively. After correction of the aortic root to body surface, there was only a trend to a larger diameter being associated with the emergence of arrhythmia.

Conclusions: Exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmia was observed in 7% of sample and it was associated with lower oxygen saturation during exercise.