Sleep apnea linked to higher combined death, heart and stroke risk
Over an average 3.1 years, death, heart attack, stroke or heart-failure hospitalization occurred in 24.3% with sleep apnea versus 17.2% below the study’s threshold.
Multicenter
Limit: Higher baseline stroke-risk scores in the sleep-apnea group could partly explain the association
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In a prospective observational study at multiple centers, 1,053 patients with atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat, and high cardiovascular risk underwent overnight sleep tests at home. Risk factors included age 75 or older, high blood pressure, diabetes, previous stroke, chronic kidney disease or coronary artery disease. Researchers classified obstructive sleep apnea, repeated airway blockages during sleep, as at least 15 breathing interruptions or reductions per hour.
Over an average 3.1 years, the combined outcome occurred in 24.3% of the sleep-apnea group versus 17.2% below that threshold. It included death from any cause, heart attack, stroke or hospitalization for heart failure. After accounting for age, sex and other factors, sleep apnea remained associated with a higher event rate over time, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.43. It was also independently associated with stroke.
Why it matters
For older people and others with atrial fibrillation and high cardiovascular risk, the findings support considering sleep apnea in risk assessment and follow-up planning.
Caveats
This observational study could not show that sleep apnea caused these events or that treating it would reduce them. Reported as a conference abstract, the findings concern patients with atrial fibrillation and high cardiovascular risk, not lower-risk populations.
The paper
National University of Singapore
ESC Congress 2026 Abstract, Oct 26, 2026, Open access
Presented at ESC Congress 2026
