DID YOU
know
Sleep apnea is linked to AFib, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, heart failure,
and sudden cardiac death.
Relationship between AFib sleep apnea undergoing the same
treatments. Preventing sleep
and Sleep Apnea
Our understanding of the exact apnea makes AFib treatments
Treating sleep apnea
relationship between AFib and more effective—regardless of can improve quality of life
sleep apnea is evolving. It is the treatment type (medication
estimated that half of the patients versus procedure). New research and reduce the risk of
with AFib also have sleep suggests that when both AFib and heart attack and stroke.
apnea. And patients with sleep sleep apnea are present, treating
apnea have four times the risk both is more likely to result in
of developing AFib. Over time, better health overall.
The questions below may help you
untreated sleep apnea can lead
talk to your doctor about sleep
to the onset of risk factors such Diagnosing Sleep Apnea
apnea and how it affects your AFib:
as hypertension and diabetes Sleep apnea is diagnosed by an
that predispose a person to AFib. overnight sleep test, which can be n Do my symptoms indicate that I
Further, it has been shown that done at home or more commonly in might have sleep apnea? Some
sleep apnea directly triggers a sleep laboratory. The sleep test of these might include:
arrhythmias during sleep. The measures the number of times that • Waking in the morning with a
heart experiences mechanical a person either stops breathing headache
stresses and chemical changes during sleep or breathing becomes
• Waking in the morning just as
each time a person with sleep very shallow. It also measures
tired as when you went to bed
apnea is startled awake by lack of the level of oxygen in the blood
and monitors the brain and heart • Loud, persistent snoring that
oxygen, and that may contribute
rhythm during sleep. wakes your bed partner
to the development of AFib.
• Pauses in breathing with
In addition, studies suggest that Talking to Your Doctor gasping episodes during sleep
untreated sleep apnea impairs While the exact nature and
n Who do I see to get a sleep
the ability to control AFib because extent of the link between sleep
study?
it reduces the effectiveness of apnea and AFib is not yet fully
understood, talk to your doctor n How will addressing sleep
certain AFib treatments. For
about sleep apnea to find out apnea help control my AFib?
example, people with both AFib
and sleep apnea may not respond whether you might benefit n Does sleep apnea increase my
as well to medications to control from evaluation and treatment. AFib stroke risk?
the heart rate as AFib patients Discuss any sleep problems
n What other risk factors can I
without sleep apnea. Patients with such as snoring or excessive
change to improve my AFib?
sleep apnea are also more likely day-time sleepiness with your
to have AFib recurrences after a electrophysiologist (a doctor
cardioversion or catheter ablation who specializes in heart rhythm
compared to AFib patients without disorders).