PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Núria Grau
AU  - Victor Bazan
AU  - Ermengol Valles
AU  - Miquel Félez
AU  - Carles Sanjuás
AU  - Miguel Cainzos
AU  - Begoña Benito
AU  - Joaquim Gea
AU  - Jordi Bruguera
AU  - Julio Martí
TI  - Obstructive sleep apnea in patients with typical atrial flutter: Clinical, prognostic and therapeutic implications
DP  - 2012 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P3807
VI  - 40
IP  - Suppl 56
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P3807.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P3807.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2012 Sep 01; 40
AB  - Background. The clinical yield of successful cavo-tricuspid isthmus (CTI) radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of atrial flutter (AF) is limited by a high incidence of atrial fibrillation (AFib) in the long term. The association of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) could favor an incomplete arrhythmia control in this setting. We assessed the impact of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in reducing the occurrence of AFib after CTI ablation.Methods. A cohort of consecutive patients undergoing successful CTI ablation for typical AF was screened for OSA and followed-up during 12 months. Upon diagnosis of severe OSA, CPAP therapy was initiated. Relationship of the following variables with the occurrence of AFib during follow-up was investigated: CPAP therapy initiation, hypertension, body mass index, underlying structural heart disease, left atrial diameter and previous AFib documentation prior to CTI ablation.Results. We included 56 patients (age 66 ± 11 years, 12 female), 27 of whom (48%) were diagnosed from severe OSA. Twenty-one patients (38%) had AFib during follow-up. Freedom from AFib prior to ablation was associated with a lower incidence of AFib after this procedure (from 67% to 34% of cases; p = 0.019). Additionally, CPAP therapy initiation in those patients never being diagnosed from AFib resulted in a reduction of AFib episodes during follow-up (from 46% to 6% of cases; p = 0.025).Conclusions. Severe OSA is a prevalent condition in patients with typical AF, and its treatment by means of CPAP therapy results in a lower incidence of new-onset AFib after CTI ablation.