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Impact of continuous airway pressure treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation and obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common comorbidity in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), influencing AF burden and recurrence. This study explores the effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy on AF outcomes, including recurrence and cardiac remodelling, specifically through echocardiographic measurements of atrial strain and global longitudinal strain in patients with AF and OSA. Additionally, the study investigates inflammatory markers and biomarkers related to fibrosis and endothelial dysfunction, offering insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to AF in this patient population.

The main aim was to assess whether continuous positive airway pressure therapy could reduce atrial fibrillation burden and recurrence in patients with obstructive sleep apnea undergoing pulmonary vein isolation. Additionally, the project investigated whether continuous positive airway pressure influences cardiac remodelling, including left and right atrial function and volume and left ventricular function. It also investigates systemic inflammation by analysing biomarkers of fibrosis and endothelial dysfunction, providing insights into AF mechanisms.

Publications

  • Effect of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure on Arrhythmia in Atrial Fibrillation and Sleep Apnea: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2021. (Link to publication)
  • Effect of continuous positive airway pressure therapy on recurrence of atrial fibrillation after pulmonary vein isolation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Heart Rhythm 2022 (Link to publication)
  • Cardiac remodelling in patients with atrial fibrillation and obstructive sleep apnoea. Open Heart 2024 (Link to publication)
  • Systemic markers of inflammation and immune activation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Eur J Intern Med 2025 (Link to publication)
  • Prevalence, risk factors, and type of sleep apnea in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Int J Cardiol Heart Vasc. 2019.  (Link to publication)

Dissertation Tove Elizabeth Hunt

On October 17, MD and ProCardio research fellow Tove Elizabeth Hunt defended her thesis “Patients with atrial fibrillation and obstructive sleep apnea: Impact of continuous airway pressure treatment” for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor at the Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo (UiO). The trial lecture was titled “The interrelation between atrial fibrillation burden and obstructive sleep apnea: Impact of lifestyle modification and continuous airway pressure treatment”
Dissertation Tove Elizabeth Hunt
Portrait photo of Tove Elizabeth Hunt

Researchers involved

Last updated 11/19/2025