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

Your Life-Threatening Risk of A-Fib with Untreated Sleep Apnea

Published September 27, 2017

At least 43% of patients with Atrial Fibrillation suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as well. In his A-Fib story, Kevin Sullivan, age 46, wrote about his discovering his Sleep Apnea on his own and the effect on his A-Fib. He wrote:

“My A-Fib seemed to start at night while I was sleeping. One night when I woke up, my heart was racing and I felt sweaty. I started reading about things which contribute to A-Fib and learned that high thyroid levels and sleep apnea contribute to the condition. My brother had sleep apnea, so that made me think I might as well.

When I asked my doctor about it, he told me that it was unlikely because I was not overweight and I did not feel tired during the day.

I went to a sleep lab anyway, and it turned out that I did have sleep apnea. My A-Fib was being triggered by apnea episodes during the night. I got an CPAP machine to address the sleep apnea and hoped that was the end of my A-Fib….“

To read the rest of Kevin Sullivan’s A-Fib story, go to: A-Fib Patient Story: Overcoming Silent A-Fib—Ablation by Dr. Patrawala.

Sleep Apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. They may occur 30 times or more an hour. Typically, normal breathing then starts again, sometimes with a loud snort or choking sound.

Risk of A-Fib with Untreated Sleep Apnea

It is now established that there’s a connection between Sleep Apnea and A-Fib.

If you have untreated Sleep Apnea, you are at greater risk of having a more severe form of A-Fib or of not benefiting from an A-Fib treatment. To learn more about sleep studies, see my article: Sleep Apnea: Home Testing with WatchPAT Device and the Philips Respironics

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.

For some lucky patients, normal sinus rhythm (NSR) can be restored just by controlling their sleep apnea.

Take Action: Sleep Apnea Can be Lethal

Sleep apnea isn’t a minor health problem, and it’s a condition you can do something about. If your bed partner tells you that you have pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while 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 or home sleep test).