New research shows continuous positive airway pressure often reduced the recurrence of atrial fibrillation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
The findings come from meta-analysis of seven studies including 1,087 patients, and show, the American College of Cardiology reported.
"Our study confirms the expanding body of evidence that treatment of modifiable risk factors has a significant impact on the long-term suppression of atrial fibrillation regardless of the type of therapy offered," said Larry A. Chinitz professor of medicine and cardiac electrophysiology at the New York University School of Medicine and one of the study authors.
CPAP use was associated with a 42 percent relative risk reduction in atrial fibrillation recurrence in patients who had sleep apnea, no matter what they were using as a primary treatment. The findings suggest CPAP could be a potential treatment for atrial fibrillation.
"Active screening for obstructive sleep apnea in all patients who undergo treatment for atrial fibrillation is imperative as the use of CPAP will influence the outcome of therapy and likely reduce some of the cardiovascular morbidity associated with atrial fibrillation," Chinitz said. "Technology for home screening of sleep apnea needs to be made widely available and become as routine as measurements of blood pressure and blood sugar levels in diabetics."
The most common treatments to retain a healthy sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation are anti-arrhythmic drugs and catheter ablation with pulmonary vein isolation.
"Sleep apnea, along with several other conditions including hypertension, obesity, and diabetes, actively contribute to the onset and progression of atrial fibrillation. This study provides important evidence that we need to identify and treat these associated conditions if our more direct efforts to suppress the arrhythmia by antiarrhythmic drugs or ablation are to be effective," said David J. Wilber, editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Clinical Electrophysiology.
