Over half of Irish people with atrial fibrillation (AF) also have sleep apnoea, and those with this sleep disorder do not respond as well to AF medication as people without it, research has shown.

AF causes irregular and rapid heartbeats, which can make the heart less efficient at pumping blood around the body. This can lead to palpitations, breathlessness, dizziness, angina and the development of blood clots. However, there may be no symptoms, therefore a person may be unaware that they have it.

Up to 40,000 people over the age of 50 have AF and it is a major risk factor for stroke.

With sleep apnoea, breathing becomes critically shallow during sleep, or stops altogether. About 100 million people worldwide are affected, but the vast majority of these are undiagnosed.

Studies have found a major link between AF and sleep apnoea. While half of patients with AF also have sleep apnoea, those with sleep apnoea are also four times more likely to develop AF.

Research has also shown that patients with both conditions do not respond as well to medication to control heart rate compared to AF patients without the sleep disorder.

In order to raise awareness about these conditions, the cardiac team at the Mater Private Hospital in Dublin, along with sleep medicine consultant, Dr Elaine Purcell, have put together a comprehensive list of signs and symptoms for people with AF to look out for.

"This is an important milestone in the development of a comprehensive and multidisciplinary AF centre of excellence at the Mater Private Hospital, which aims to improve the quality of care for patients suffering from the most common heart rhythm disorder," commented Dr Gábor Széplaki, a consultant cardiologist at the hospital.

The experts said that patients with AF should be on the look out for signs that they have undiagnosed sleep apnoea, which could be impairing their ability to control their AF. Sleep apnoea signs include:

-Waking up with a very sore or dry throat
-Loud snoring
-Occasionally waking up with a choking or gasping sensation
-Sleepiness or lack of energy during the day
-Sleepiness while driving
-Morning headaches
-Restless sleep
-Forgetfulness, mood changes, and a decreased interest in sex.
"Both AF and sleep apnoea can be serious conditions in their own right, but now we know that sleep apnoea can directly trigger arrhythmias during sleep.
"As sleep apnoea is often undiagnosed, it is important that anyone with AF can recognise the symptoms, so that both disorders can be treated in tandem. We know that preventing or reducing sleep apnoea makes AF treatments much more effective, resulting in better outcomes for the patient," explained arrhythmia nurse at the Mater Private arrhythmia clinic, Claire Howard.

The hospital also reminded people that there are steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of sleep apnoea, which will also improve the effectiveness of AF treatment. These include:

-Weight loss
-Quitting smoking
-Avoiding alcohol and sedatives, such as sleeping tablets
-Regular exercise
-Avoiding caffeine and heavy meals
-Maintaining regular sleep hours.