A treatment used in glaucoma and epilepsy would very significantly reduce the number of respiratory pauses in patients.
- In France, one in ten people suffer from sleep apnea
- The risk of developing this disorder is greater in men and women after menopause
- Drug Shows Promising Results While Available Treatments Are Mechanical and Intrusive
A first drug treatment for sleep apnea could quickly see the light of day after a study showing the effectiveness of a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. This molecule is in fact already used to treat glaucoma and epilepsy in particular.
It was researchers from the University of Gothenburg who carried out this study published in the American Journal of Respiratory in Critical Care Medicine. This is a randomized, double-blind trial involving 59 patients with moderate or severe sleep apnea. The participants were divided into three groups, one receiving 200mg of carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, the other the same treatment but at a dose of 400mg, the third group receiving a placebo.
Reduced number of breathing pauses
After four weeks, the results show that the treatment has indeed reduced the number of respiratory pauses and therefore promoted oxygenation during the night. But a few patients, especially those who received the higher dose, experienced side effects, including headaches and shortness of breath. “Among patients who received the 400mg dose, the number of breathing pauses decreased by approximately 20 per hour. For a third of patients only half of their breathing pauses remained and for one in five their number fell by 60%“, says Jan Hedner, professor of pulmonary medicine.
Encouraging results which should allow the rapid development of a drug specific to sleep apnea since carbonic anhydrase inhibitors are already available on the market.
Intrusive and cumbersome treatments
And what to improve the situation of patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. The only treatments currently available to them are an oral appliance or a mask that generates positive pressure. “It takes time to get used to these treatment options as they are intrusive and cumbersome. If we develop an effective drug, it will make life easier for many patients and, in the long run, potentially save more lives.“, underlines Ludger Grote, lecturer at the University of Gothenburg.
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