Risk of sleep apnea in patients with atrial fibrillation

Sleep apnea is defined as more than 10 seconds to stop the air flow in the adult airway, which may occur due to upper airway obstruction during sleep. Sleep apnea is highly prevalent among patients with cardiovascular disease, so that 50% of patients with atrial fibrillation suffer from sleep apnea. Therefore, this current study discussed the risk of sleep apnea in patients with atrial fibrillation. This comparative-descriptive study with convenience sampling was performed on 150 patients with atrial fibrillation and 150 patients without atrial fibrillation admitted to CCU of Imam Khomeini's hospital, Saghez, Iran. Patients were matched for age and sex. Data was collected using demographic and Berlin questionnaire. Data analysis was performed by SPSS16 statistical software and descriptive and inferential statistical tests. Blood pressure in patients with atrial fibrillation was significantly higher than patients without atrial fibrillation (p=0.001). In the groups with and without atrial fibrillation, 60% and 36% had a high risk of sleep apnea, respectively. Patients with sleep apnea were prone 2.98 times to atrial fibrillation more than those without this disorder. According to high incidence of sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation in the CCU, using the screening methods for patient's identification to reduce the risk factors among these patients seems to be necessary.