Sleep-disordered breathing and atrial fibrillation: review of the evidence.

Sleep-disordered breathing and atrial fibrillation are two common medical conditions. A strong association between them has been described and has prompted significant research in understanding the mechanism connecting the two conditions while explaining the synergic negative effects in terms of morbidity and mortality in affected patients. This review focuses first on the pathophysiologic mechanisms favoring the development of atrial fibrillation in patients with sleep-disordered breathing, considering specifically and separately obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Then, the effects of these two disorders in specific clinical settings are addressed.