Prospective Assessment of Sex-Related Differences in Symptom Status and Health Perception Among Patients With Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: We prospectively assessed sex-specific differences in health perception, overall symptom status, and specific symptoms in a large cohort of patients with atrial fibrillation.

Methods And Results: We performed a prospective multicenter observational cohort study of 1553 patients with atrial fibrillation. Patients completed questionnaires about personal characteristics, comorbidities, and symptoms on a yearly basis.

Heart Rate Variability and Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders in the General Population.

Obstructive sleep apnea seems to have an important influence on the autonomic nervous system. In this study, we assessed the relations of sleep apnea-related parameters with 24-hour heart rate variability (HRV) in a large population of young and healthy adults. Participants aged 25 to 41 years with a body mass index <35 kg/m(2) and without known obstructive sleep apnea were included in a prospective population-based cohort study.