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The Skeptical Cardiologist's avatar

Daniel,

thanks for sharing your experience. I have a few afib patients who consistently note its onset during sleep. For them I consider that OSA might be a significant trigger. In my experience, if OSA diagnosed when the only indication was nocturnal afib, CPAP therapy rarely improves afib frequency. I also have lots of patients with OSA for in whom afib does not come on during sleep.

I've never done a sleep lab test but I can guarantee my sleep would be horrific. I'd definitely prefer an at home test.

the Zio (if competently over read by a good cardiologist) is very accurate at afib if duration >30 seconds or so.

Why did you get a Zio initially?

Apple Watch is also very good at picking up rest episodes of tachycardia. Most of patients who don't feel their afib have it accurately identified by AW

So, I suspect you are having less episodes.

IMHO, docs should not specialize in one disease. They become too dependent on making that diagnosis, inflating the importance of the diagnosis, treating that diagnosis, and spreading the disease to those who don't have it.

dr P

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The Skeptical Cardiologist's avatar

That is an outstanding article!

Great quote :

"the American health care system has joined with commercial partners to define a medical condition — in this case, sleep apnea — in a way that allows both parties to generate revenue from a multitude of pricey diagnostic studies, equipment sales, and questionable treatments. I was on a conveyor belt."

Looks KHN allows me to republish it....

Dr P

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