# Breathing Pauses at Night Linked to More Atrial Fibrillation

_Evidence Level: Moderate · Sori E et al., Journal of arrhythmia, DOI 10.1002/joa3.70499_

*Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Sleep Fragmentation in Relation to Atrial Fibrillation Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.*

- **Evidence Level**: Moderate
- **Why this grade**: A registered meta-analysis of 21 cohort studies with over 600,000 people, but all observational, with moderate heterogeneity for new atrial fibrillation.
- **Publication Types**: Journal Article
- **Journal**: Journal of arrhythmia
- **Sample Size**: 21 cohort studies, 611,898 participants
- **Authors**: Sori E, Abid H, Zartasha, Pedra W, Odewabi A, Salau IL, Jillkumar V, Hyder A, Mutar M, Sattar Y
- **Graded and published**: 2026-10-09
- **Last edited**: 2026-10-12
- **Topics**: Sleep, Heart Health
- **DOI**: https://doi.org/10.1002/joa3.70499
- **Free full text**: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13653154/
- **Original Source**: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42859517/

## Summary

People with sleep-disordered breathing, meaning repeated pauses or dips in breathing during sleep, developed atrial fibrillation more often across 21 cohort studies. This meta-analysis pooled 611,898 people and found a risk of new atrial fibrillation about two thirds higher. The risk climbed by roughly 2 percent for each additional breathing event per hour. Recurrence after treatment was also more common, with consistent results across 11 studies. Whether treating the breathing problem prevents the arrhythmia cannot be judged here: the data are observational, and CPAP mask therapy was reported too inconsistently to analyze.

## Practical Takeaway

Sleep-disordered breathing was associated with more new atrial fibrillation and more frequent recurrence.

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_Canonical: https://longevity-germany.com/en/research/breathing-pauses-at-night-linked-to-more-atrial-fibrillation · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-10-12_