Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...


"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."

Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."

Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI 

“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP. 

Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017

“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”

Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD  Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD


Doctors & patients are saying about 'Beat Your A-Fib'...


"If I had [your book] 10 years ago, it would have saved me 8 years of hell.”

Roy Salmon, Patient, A-Fib Free,
Adelaide, Australia

"This book is incredibly complete and easy-to-understand for anybody. I certainly recommend it for patients who want to know more about atrial fibrillation than what they will learn from doctors...."

Pierre Jaïs, M.D. Professor of Cardiology, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, Bordeaux, France

"Dear Steve, I saw a patient this morning with your book [in hand] and highlights throughout. She loves it and finds it very useful to help her in dealing with atrial fibrillation."

Dr. Wilber Su,
Cavanaugh Heart Center, 
Phoenix, AZ

"...masterful. You managed to combine an encyclopedic compilation of information with the simplicity of presentation that enhances the delivery of the information to the reader. This is not an easy thing to do, but you have been very, very successful at it."

Ira David Levin, heart patient, 
Rome, Italy

"Within the pages of Beat Your A-Fib, Dr. Steve Ryan, PhD, provides a comprehensive guide for persons seeking to find a cure for their Atrial Fibrillation."

Walter Kerwin, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA


Sleep Apnea: When Snoring Can Be Lethal

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is so common that at least 43% of patients with Atrial Fibrillation also suffer from it. For that reason alone, you should be tested for sleep apnea.

Aside from causing or triggering A-Fib, untreated sleep apnea can cause many other serious health threats. Patients with sleep apnea have a higher mortality rate, a longer duration of hospitalization, and greater medical coists. (Gill & Wu)

Got Sleep Apnea? Your Life-Threatening Risks

Researchers at the U. of Wisconsin examined 22-years of mortality data on the study’s participants and found the following:

infographic-sleep-apnea-stats-section-only-500-v-425-pix

The Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study

Beginning in 1989, the U. of Wisconsin study used a random sample of 1,522 Wisconsin state employees. The participants underwent overnight sleep apnea studies and many other tests at four-year intervals. They were not selected because they had known sleep problems. (After the testing, researchers contacted participants with severe sleep apnea and explained the health risks.)

The study reveals the numerous life-altering and life-threatening health issues associated with sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea: a condition in which one or more pauses in breathing occur while sleeping, pauses can last a few seconds to minutes and can occur 30 times or more an hour.

More EPs are Sending Patients for Sleep Studies

So many A-Fib patients also suffer from sleep apnea that many Electrophysiologists (EPs) routinely send their patients for a sleep apnea study. Some A-Fib centers have their own sleep study program. (The patient just walks down the hall to an A-Fib sleep study area.)

For some lucky patients, normal sinus rhythm (NSR) can be restored just by controlling their sleep apnea and getting a good night’s sleep.

Take Action: Sleep Apnea Can be Lethal

The Wisconsin Sleep Study findings demonstrate just how lethal sleep apnea can be. Sleep apnea isn’t a minor health problem, and it’s a condition you can do something about. (Just like A-Fib, you don’t have to just live with it).

If your significant other tells you that you pause breathing when you sleep or that you snore, do something about it! (Not everyone with sleep apnea snores, but snoring may indicate sleep apnea.)

Talk with your doctors about testing for sleep apnea. You may need an in-lab sleep study (or the newer option of a home sleep test).

Learn More About Sleep Studies

Read about in-lab and in-home sleep studies in our article, Sleep Apnea: Home Testing with WatchPAT Device and the Philips Respironics

On a Personal Note: My wife has sleep apnea (but not A-Fib). While sleeping, she would actually stop breathing for what seemed like a long time, then suddenly gasp for air. It was very scary! But now she uses a CPAP machine, sleeps soundly and wakes up rested.

Sleep apnea may run in families. Her brother has sleep apnea also.

Resources for this article
Dudley, David. World War ZZZ. AARP the Magazine, August/September 2016, p.51.

Young, Terry. New Wisconsin Study Documents Severity of Sleep Apnea Risk. UW Health 2008 Annual Report. http://www.uwhealth.org/about-uwhealth/annual-report/new-wisconsin-study-documents-severity-of-sleep-apnea-risk/15018

Nieto, Javier. Sleep Apnea Associated with Higher Mortality from Cancer. University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. News and Events, Med.Wisc.edu, 05/21/2012. http://www.med.wisc.edu/news-events/sleep-apnea-associated-with-higher-mortality-from-cancer/37687

Gill, Jashan & Chunyi Wu. In-hospital Outcomes and Arrhythmia Burden in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction. The Journal of Innovations in Cardiac Rhythm Management, June 2022, Volume 12/Number 6. p. 5033.

Related Posts

Follow Us
facebook - A-Fib.comtwitter - A-Fib.comlinkedin - A-Fib.compinterest - A-Fib.comYouTube: A-Fib Can be Cured! - A-Fib.com

We Need You Help A-Fib.com be self-supporting-Use our link to Amazon  

A-Fib.com is a
501(c)(3) Nonprofit



Your support is needed. Every donation helps, even just $1.00.



A-Fib.com top rated by Healthline.com since 2014 

Home | The A-Fib Coach | Help Support A-Fib.com | A-Fib News Archive | Tell Us What You think | Press Room | GuideStar Seal | HON certification | Disclosures | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy