A Canadian study found the most effective treatment for daytime sleepiness, which is commonly associated with sleep apnea.
- Sleep apnea is due to the occurrence of frequent and abnormal pauses in breathing during the night.
- Obesity, overweight and age are generally factors that favor the occurrence of sleep apnea.
- In case of sleep apnea, a person often suffers from great fatigue, daytime sleepiness and uncontrollable drowsiness.
Sleep apnea is characterized by a disorder of nocturnal ventilation caused by the abnormally frequent occurrence of breathing pauses. Different factors favor this syndrome such as overweight, obesity, age, permanent nasal obstruction, abnormalities in size, position of the jaw, tongue or palate.
Sleep apnea: how to fight daytime sleepiness?
Nighttime snoring and daytime sleepiness are commonly associated with sleep apnea, due to disturbed and choppy nights’ sleep. Sleep apnea therefore impacts daily activities. In the absence of quality sleep, the person dozes during the day and suffers from uncontrollable drowsiness.
Researchers at McMaster University, located in Toronto (Canada), studied different drugs to identify an effective treatment aimed at relieving patients suffering from daytime sleepiness due to sleep apnea. Their findings were published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
Solriamfetol would be the best treatment to reduce fatigue and drowsiness
During their study, the Canadian researchers carried out a meta-analysis of several clinical trials of anti-fatigue drugs involving 3,085 volunteers. The work was carried out from October 2022 to January 2023.
According to Dena Zeraatkar, lead author of the study and assistant professor at McMaster University, solriamfetol is the “best treatment” for daytime sleepiness. The drugs armodafinil-modafinil and pitolisant are also effective in combating fatigue.
However, solriamfetol is a drug that can raise blood pressure, which is risky for people with sleep apnea. Many individuals affected by this syndrome also have cardiovascular problems. Further research is therefore needed to confirm the effectiveness of this treatment on daytime sleepiness without endangering the lives of patients.