title: [Arrhythmia and sleep apnea syndrome].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arrhythmia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Europe and in the United States. The aim of this review article was to assess the results of the prospective studies that evaluated the risk of arrhythmia in patients with sleep apnea syndrome and discuss the management of this arrhythmia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reports published with the following search terms were searched: sleep apnea syndrome, atrial flutter, supraventricular arrhythmia, ventricular arrhythmia, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, torsade de pointe, atrial fibrillation and sudden death. The investigation was restricted to reports published in English and French.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The outcome of this analysis suggests that patients with untreated overt sleep apnea syndrome are at increased risk of arrhythmia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The timely recognition and effective treatment of sleep apnea syndrome in patients with arrhythmia are mandatory because the prognosis of arrhythmia may be improved with the appropriate treatment of sleep apnea syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Département de cardiologie, hôpital Abderrahmane Mami, Ariana, Tunisie; Faculté de médecine de Tunis, university Manar, Tunis, Tunisie. Electronic address: marrakchi.sonia@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marrakchi
authors.affiliation: Département de cardiologie, hôpital Abderrahmane Mami, Ariana, Tunisie; Faculté de médecine de Tunis, university Manar, Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kammoun
authors.affiliation: Département de cardiologie, hôpital Abderrahmane Mami, Ariana, Tunisie; Faculté de médecine de Tunis, university Manar, Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kachboura
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications*
keywords: Atrial arrhythmia; Sleep apnea syndrome; Syndrome d’apnée du sommeil; Trouble du rythme atrial; Trouble du rythme ventriculaire; Ventricular arrhythmia