Sleep apnoea and heartbeat irregularities

People with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, in which airways become blocked periodically during sleep and breathing stops for brief periods, experience a relatively high number of episodes of irregular heart rhythm. Researchers from the Hospital Universitario La Paz in Madrid, Spain, did a study with 21 patients with sleep apnoea syndrome, 12 snorers, and 15 healthy comparison subjects who were evaluated with sleep studies and 24-hour monitoring of their heart rhythm. Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome was found to increase the frequency of both daytime and night-time heartbeat irregularities. It was also found that sleep apnoea patients also experienced more night-time episodes when their heart showed signs that it was not getting enough oxygen. In sleep apnoea patients, the lowest levels of oxygen in the blood were linked to the rhythm disturbances. The results show that people with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome may have heart problems and these may not be seen in people who just snore.