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[Sleep-disordered breathing and atrial fibrillation].
T Penzel1, S Sogorski, J Zelmer
1CharitéCentrum für Herz-, Kreislauf- und Gefäßmedizin (CC11), Charité Campus Mitte, Medizinische Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Kardiologie und Angiologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Deutschland. thomas.penzel@charite.de
Herzschrittmachertherapie & Elektrophysiologie
|January 27, 2012
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is linked to atrial fibrillation recurrence. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy may reduce relapse rates in OSA patients, but more research is needed.
Area of Science:
- Sleep Medicine
- Cardiology
- Internal Medicine
Context:
- Sleep-disordered breathing, particularly obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is a prevalent condition.
- OSA is recognized as an independent cardiovascular risk factor.
- A significant association exists between OSA and atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia.
Purpose:
- To review the association between OSA and atrial fibrillation.
- To discuss the impact of untreated OSA on rhythm control strategies in AF patients.
- To explore the potential role of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in managing AF recurrence in OSA patients.
Summary:
- Clinical studies demonstrate a strong link between OSA and AF, though causality is not yet proven.
- Untreated OSA appears to increase the risk of failed rhythm control and higher recurrence rates after cardioversion in AF patients.
- CPAP therapy for OSA may decrease AF relapse rates, but robust clinical trial data with defined endpoints are lacking.
- Diagnostic approaches including sleep medicine interviews and polysomnography are recommended for suspected sleep-disordered breathing.
Impact:
- Highlights the importance of diagnosing and treating OSA in patients with atrial fibrillation.
- Suggests CPAP therapy as a potential adjunctive treatment to improve rhythm control in AF patients with OSA.
- Underscores the need for further randomized controlled trials to establish definitive evidence on CPAP's efficacy in reducing AF recurrence.
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