Atrial Fibrillation Connected with Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Cleveland Clinic researchers say central sleep apnea may raise the risk of developing atrial fibrillation, a dangerous heart rhythm disorder.

Published: January 14, 2016

Having a rare, but dangerous form of sleep apnea may raise your risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a Cleveland Clinic study published recently in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The sleep condition is called central sleep apnea (CSA), a related condition to the more common obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Interestingly, the presence of OSA did not predict AF in the study participants.