Clinical Study on the Effect of CPAP on AF Recurrence After Catheter Ablation in Patients with AF and OSA

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia in clinical practice, significantly increasing the risks of death, stroke, heart failure, cognitive impairment, and dementia, thus severely impacting patients' quality of life. However, for AF patients with concomitant cardiovascular risk factors, particularly those with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the success rate of catheter ablation is significantly reduced. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is currently an effective treatment for OSA, effectively correcting nocturnal intermittent hypoxia and fragmented sleep caused by OSA. However, the effect of CPAP therapy on AF recurrence in patients with OSA undergoing catheter ablation remains controversial. Faced with conflicting research findings, our team recently conducted a meta-analysis (registration number CRD42023398588) to assess the impact of CPAP on AF recurrence post catheter ablation in patients with AF and OSA, suggesting that CPAP significantly reduces AF recurrence post catheter ablation (RR = 0.58, P \< 0.01). However, considering the limited number of included studies, potential bias risks, and confounding factors, our meta-analysis results await further confirmation through real-world studies by our team. Therefore, our team plans to conduct further research on the impact of CPAP on AF recurrence post catheter ablation in patients with moderate to severe OSA, aiming to provide clinical guidance for the treatment of AF in patients with moderate to severe OSA.