Sleep duration and the risk of recurrent arrhythmias after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: the PREDIMAR study

Background: Short and long sleep duration have been linked to atrial fibrillation (AF), but their influence on arrhythmia recurrence after catheter ablation is uncertain. We evaluated the association between nocturnal sleep duration and the risk of recurrent arrhythmias in patients undergoing catheter ablation for AF in the PREDIMAR trial. Methods: The PREDIMAR study is a multicentre, randomized, controlled, single-blind trial evaluating a Mediterranean diet enriched with extra-virgin olive oil for preventing arrhythmia recurrence after catheter ablation for AF. Nocturnal sleep duration was categorized as adequate (6?8 h/day) or inadequate (<6 h/day or >8 h/day). Multivariable Cox regression models estimated the association between sleep duration and the risk of recurrent atrial flutter (AFL) or AF. Results: Among 720 participants, we observed 226 incident cases of AF relapse and 107 cases of AFL. Inadequate nocturnal sleep duration was associated with a significantly higher risk of AFL recurrence compared with adequate sleep (adjusted HR = 1.87; 95% CI 1.18?2.96). No significant association was observed for AF recurrence (HR = 0.99; 95% CI 0.70?1.41). The association with AFL recurrence was particularly evident in patients with persistent AF at baseline before ablation (adjusted HR = 3.42; 95% CI 1.47?7.97), whereas no significant relationship was observed in those with baseline paroxysmal AF. Conclusions: Inadequate nocturnal sleep duration (<6 h/day or >8 h/day) may increase the risk of AFL recurrence following AF ablation. These findings highlight the relevance of sleep habits as a modifiable behavioural factor potentially influencing post-ablation outcomes.