Prevalence and predictors of Sleep Apnea in Atrial Fibrillation patients.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is a common but often under diagnosed condition that constitutes a real public health problem. The prevalence of OSAS in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients ranges from 32 to 85% according to recent studies.

AIM: To determine the prevalence and severity of OSAS in a population followed for non-valvular AF (NVAF), and to identify OSAS's predictive factors in this population.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted, including successive patients followed for NVAF. Patients with a known history of OSAS were not included. All patients had a clinical screening for symptoms suggestive of OSAS and underwent an ambulatory sleep study.

RESULTS: We included 100 patients in this study. OSAS was detected in 90% of NVAF patients. The average apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 21.6 ± 13.6 e/h. OSAS was mild in 32%, moderate in 27% and severe in 31% of cases. Clinical characteristics were comparable between patients with and without OSAS. The multivariate analytical study concluded that independent predictive factors of OSAS in AF patients were an age greater than 61 years (p=0.029), AF duration more than 2 years (p=0.04) and snoring (p=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: OSAS was diagnosed in 90% of NVAF patients. Thus, a systematic screening for OSAS in AF patients may be a relevant approach given its high prevalence in this population and its therapeutic implications. Snoring, age greater than 61 years, and AF duration more than 2 years were independently associated with OSAS in our study.