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In patients with recent acute myocardial infarction (MI), the prevalence of depression is estimated to range from 16% to 45% and of sleep apnea from 43% to 66%. Each condition confers an increased risk for adverse medical outcomes. In this first-ever study on the post-MI risk associated with comorbid depression and sleep apnea, investigators studied 716 patients within 28 days after MI. Patients were assessed by means of a 24-hour Holter monitor; the electrocardiographic data were analyzed with an algorithm shown to detect moderate-to-severe sleep apnea with high sensitivity and specificity.
Of participants with analyzable data, 13% had both depression and sleep apnea, 34% had depression alone, 18% had sleep apnea alone, and 35% had neither.…