Predictive value of obstructive sleep apnoea assessed by the Berlin Questionnaire for outcomes after the catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation

AimsObstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after catheter ablation. The purpose of this study is to determine whether OSA assessed by the simple tool, the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ), is useful in predicting the efficacy of catheter ablation of AF.Methods and resultsThe patient population consisted of 210 consecutive patients [mean age 58 ± 10 years, 167 (80) male, 119 (57) paroxysmal] who underwent catheter ablation of AF and completed the BQ. Clinical success was defined as at least 90 reduction in AF burden after 3-month blanking period. Mean duration of follow-up was 25 ± 12 months. One hundred and one of the 118 (85) patients at low risk for OSA had clinical success as opposed to 64 of the 92 (70) patients at high risk for OSA on BQ (P = 0.005). On multivariate analysis, only high-risk for OSA on BQ emerged as an independent predictor of procedural failure (OR 4.53, CI: 1.21-16.87, P = 0.02).ConclusionHigh risk of OSA on BQ predicts procedural failure after catheter ablation of AF. We recommend the use of BQ for risk-stratifying patients for OSA prior to AF ablation procedures and to identify patients for formal sleep study assessment.