OSA and A Fib: Pathophysiology

Somers - Figure 38

FIG. 38: So to review briefly, patients with sleep apnea have hypoxemia, sympathetic and vagal activation, and extreme blood pressure surges.^[5,23-26] In addition they have transmural pressure gradients generated by obstructive apneas, and they may systemic inflammation (increased CRP levels).^[10] As shown in the schematic in the Figure, all of these that are seen in patients with sleep apnea are the same things that often go on to cause AF.^[20,27-29]

Somers V. Chest 2016:00.

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