The Cleveland Clinic explains how an uncommon form of sleep apnea is linked to heart arrhythmia later.
Sleep apnea in general is more common in men than in women and more common in older adults.
“These data support that central apnea appears to somehow be a marker of future development of this arrhythmia,” Dr. Mehra says. “Whether treating that sleep apnea reduces that risk of atrial fibrillation development remains to be seen.”
Previous, but somewhat limited, studies have shown a positive association between sleep apnea treatment and reducing the recurrence of abnormal heart rhythms associated with it, Dr. Mehra says.
