Associations of Obstructive Sleep Apnea With Atrial Fibrillation and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Treatment A Review

Abstract

IMPORTANCE Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common clinically significant breathing abnormality during sleep. It is highly prevalent among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), and it promotes arrhythmogenesis and impairs treatment efficacy. OBSERVATIONS The prevalence of OSA ranges from 3%to 49%in population-based studies and from 21% to 74%in patients with AF. Diagnosis and treatment of OSA in patients with AF requires a close interdisciplinary collaboration between electrophysiologists, cardiologists, and sleep specialists. Because the prevalence of OSA is high in patients with AF and most do not report daytime sleepiness, sleep-study evaluation may be reasonable for patients b..