fibrillation if the individual has early repolarization syndrome and is under sixty years of age. Impaired cardiac repolarization with obstructive sleep apnea Patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea can experience impaired cardiac repolarization, increasing the morbidity and mortality of the condition greatly. Especially at higher altitudes, patients are much more susceptible to repolarization disturbances. This can be somewhat mitigated through the use of medications such as acetazolamide, but the drugs do not provide sufficient protection. Acetazolamide and similar drugs are known to be able to improve the oxygenation and sleep apnea for patients in higher altitudes, but the benefits of the drug have been observed only when traveling at altitudes temporarily, not for people who remain at a higher altitude for a longer time. References External links Membrane biology Electrophysiology Electrochemistry Cellular neuroscience