title: The role of obesity and sleep apnea in atrial fibrillation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discuss the relationship between obesity and obstructive sleep apnea as they relate to the growing atrial fibrillation epidemic, and to discuss possible mechanistic links and implications for treatment of atrial fibrillation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increasing BMI plays an important role in development of atrial fibrillation in both men and women. Sleep-disordered breathing contributes to cardiac chamber enlargement, which may be responsible for increasing atrial fibrillation in this population. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea and/or obesity have less freedom from atrial fibrillation recurrence after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BMI is a strong predictor of future development of atrial fibrillation and should be considered as a risk factor for atrial fibrillation. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea and/or obesity have high atrial fibrillation recurrence rates following atrial fibrillation ablation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287-0409, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Needleman
authors.forename: Hugh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Calkins
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012008:Recurrence; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*