Sleep Apnea very common with AF

[MarkS]

Here's an interesting post about Sleep Apnea:

medscape.com/viewarticle/96...

In a study of 188 patients with atrial fibrillation without a history of sleep apnea that all had home sleep studies. 82% had sleep apnea.

Also treatment of sleep apnea cleared up night sweats and excessive visits to the loo (reduced from an average of two visits to one).

I'm aware of in-stay sleep apnea tests, but has anyone had home sleep studies which measure Alpha Hypopnea Index and O2 concentration?

[CDreamer]

Yes, I had a home study from our local NHS clinic where I was fitted up with about £10k worth of kit which measured just about everything you could measure. It was an excellent service initiated by EP > GP assessed by questionnaire for suitability for referral.

That was in 2014 - if you look back on my posts you will see I blogged a lot about it.

I’ve been on CPAP therapy since which stopped all nocturnal AF almost immediately but had little affect on other triggers for AF.

I can’t remember if I had study prior to or after ablation.

[Thomas2222]

I am participating in a Dutch study to assess risk factors to determine the success of an ablation. As part of that study, I will have a home sleep study somewhere in the coming two weeks. Since I only entered the study one week before my ablation (which was last Thursday), I could not do the home sleep study before the ablation. I have a history of sleep apnea, which was resolved 15 years ago by removing my tonsils. Since then, I likely do not have sleep apnea anymore.

I should be able to tell more about the home sleep study I did in a week or two.

[Thomas2222 in reply to Thomas2222]

Got my results and diagnosed with sleep apnea. 27x/hour when lying on the side/belly, 35x/hour when lying on the back. Physician's preference is a CPAP, although I prefer trying a mandibular advancement device first, since the thought of having a CPAP on all the time and having to take that with me when I go somewhere do not sound too appealing. Also went to see a dietician, since losing weight might also help.

[Ppiman]

I'd just read a different study that showed 30-50% also. It seems we should all have a sleep study. I did see a sleep specialist once and he dismissed my suggestion of possible sleep apnoea and said I didn't need a test; my wife also feels sure that I don't have it. A friend does, though, and wouldn't be without his CPAP machine. The results of using one that I read were mixed, though, and it seems up to a staggering 75% of CPAP users give up using their machines for various reasons within a year.

Steve

[irene75359 in reply to Ppiman]

I think it must depend on how severe their symptoms are if a person gives up on their CPAP machine. My husband went on trip with a friend of ours and they shared a room. He was horrified by what happened to our friend throughout the night - total silence followed by wild thrashing about as he struggled for breath. He went to his doctor and was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and eventually bought his own CPAP machine after disliking the ones on offer. He said it was life-changing, he awakes rested and feels so much better.

[Ppiman in reply to irene75359]

The drop our rate i read (there’s lots online) is astonishing given the presumed consequences. Mind you, I also found that there’s little evidence that they have proven long term effectiveness either - mostly because of the poor adherence in clinical trials.

But your account is really interesting and useful. How odd that that person had no idea? I sleep in one position all night and never move or thrash! ☺️ I have awful insomnia though. You made my mind up for me to ask my GP about this.

Steve

[irene75359 in reply to Ppiman]

His wife is a very deep sleeper! All he knew was literally hundreds of wakings during the night and being constantly exhausted.

[secondtry]

Hi Mark, thanks for posting that is a very good article.

I have/had mild sleep apnea and treat it myself with extra pillows, nasal strip & lip strip (both important as the tongue can block mouth breathing) and relaxation techniques incl prayer. Still averaging 2 bathroom visits per night though (possibly other reasons for that) but no longer any night sweats or AF. I agree I think SA does affect memory.

All the best!