Severity of OSA is an independent predictor of incident atrial fibrillation hospitalization in a large sleep-clinic cohort
BACKGROUND OSA is a common condition that has been associated with atrial fibrillation
(AF), but there is a paucity of data from large longitudinal cohorts to establish whether OSA
is a risk factor for AF independent of obesity and other established risk factors. METHODS
We studied patients attending a sleep clinic referred for in-laboratory polysomnography for
possible OSA between 1989 and 2001. Whole-population hospital data in Western Australia
for 1970 to 2009 were linked to sleep study cases to determine incident AF hospitalization to …
(AF), but there is a paucity of data from large longitudinal cohorts to establish whether OSA
is a risk factor for AF independent of obesity and other established risk factors. METHODS
We studied patients attending a sleep clinic referred for in-laboratory polysomnography for
possible OSA between 1989 and 2001. Whole-population hospital data in Western Australia
for 1970 to 2009 were linked to sleep study cases to determine incident AF hospitalization to …