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Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with atrial fibrillation and increased risks for ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. A causal link has not been established but plausibly involves hypoxia and increased sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. In previous cross-sectional studies, investigators compared arrhythmia incidence in patients with and without SDB. In a recently published case-crossover analysis (in which each patient served as his or her own control), investigators compared periods preceding arrhythmic events with periods of normal sleep (during which sinus rhythm was maintained) in adults with SDB.
Of 2816 participants in the Sleep Heart Health Study, 57 had arrhythmias documented during the study period…