Ditch the Darth Vader Mask for Sleep Apnea

If you hate putting on the CPAP mask each night to help increase your breathing intake and to get a good night’s sleep, you may be in luck. A recent clinical trial found that a certain drug significantly reduced breathing problems in people with moderate to severe sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is more than snoring; if left untreated, it can lead to daytime sleepines and more serious health conditions over time.

The drug helps stabilize breathing signals in the brain, reducing airway collapse, which is dangerous and can lead to other health problems, including heart attacks, over time. This could be a game-changer for people who struggle to wear the CPAP machines, which are clunky and not very comfortable, especially if you toss and turn during the night.

What’s the New Drug to Reduce Sleep Apnea?

The drug, sulthiame, is not a new drug, but a repurposed one. It's used to treat epilepsy and is being studied for new uses, including sleep apnea, which affects at least 30 million men in the US, according to the American Lung Association.

Researchers in Germany enrolled 298 people with moderate to severe sleep apnea in the trial. About 25 percent of the participants received a placebo, while the rest were treated with different doses of sulthiame. People taking higher doses experienced nearly 50 percent fewer pauses in breathing and improved oxygen levels during sleep.

The study results were published in The Lancet.

“It feels like a breakthrough, and we now look forward to larger and longer studies to determine whether the effect is sustained over time and whether the treatment is safe for broader patient groups,” said Jan Hedner, who specializes in pulmonary medicine at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden in a news release.