An epilepsy drug can help prevent the breathing of patients with sleep apnea from temporarily stopping, according to research.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a common breathing problem that affects around one in 20 peopleaccording to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in England. Patients often snore loudly, their breathing starts and stops during the night and they may wake up several times. Not only does it cause fatigue, but it can also increase the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
An international study has identified that an epilepsy medication is associated with a marked reduction in sleep apnea symptoms.
The findings, presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Vienna, Austria, showed that there are possible options for those who cannot use mechanical breathing aids, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines.
Prof Jan Hedner, from Sahlgrenska University Hospital and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said: “The standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is to sleep with a machine that blows air through a face mask to keep the airways open. Unfortunately, many people find these machines difficult to use over the long term, so there is a need to find alternative treatments.”
The researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial of nearly 300 obstructive sleep apnea patients in Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany and Spain who did not use the Cpap machines. They were divided into four groups and given one of three strengths of sulthiame or a placebo.
The study measured patients’ breathing, oxygen levels, heart rhythm, eye movements, as well as brain and muscle activity while they slept, at the start of the trial, after four weeks and after 12 weeks.
After 12 weeks, those taking sulthiame had up to 50% fewer occasions where their breathing stopped and higher oxygen levels in their blood during sleep. The effects were most evident in the highest doses of the drug.
Hedner said the findings suggest that sulthiame may be an effective treatment for the condition and that a larger study is needed to confirm the drug’s beneficial respiratory effects on a larger group of sleep apnea patients.
Erika Radford, the head of health advice at Asthma + Lung UK, said the findings were a first step in moving away from breathing equipment worn while you sleep towards a drug-based treatment. “This possible alternative to the current main treatment will make it easier for people to manage their condition,” she added.
Dr Sriram Iyer, a consultant respiratory and sleep physician and president-elect of the Royal Society of Medicine’s sleep medicine section, said: “This is an important study which highlights that drug therapy for sleep apnea is not far from becoming a reality don’t be.”
While more studies will investigate the long-term benefits, any side effects and whether there are specific types of patients who will benefit more from treatment, it was “of utmost importance that we do not forget that in most cases, sleep apnea is linked to obesity and addressing this must be the priority,” she said.
