“While further rigorous clinical evaluation and testing is required, this is a great first step and should offer some hope to the many people worldwide who suffer from sleep apnea,” says study senior author Professor Danny Eckeart, Director of Flinders’ sleep lab FHMRI: Sleep Health.
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea
“OSA is one of the most common sleep-related breathing disorders, with an estimated one billion sufferers, and when untreated is associated with major health and safety consequences. While CPAP machines are effective, tolerance remains a major issue for many and other treatments such as dental splints and upper airway surgery don’t always work. Therefore, we need new treatment options for obstructive sleep apnea. Currently, there are no approved drug treatments for obstructive sleep apnea. However, with advances in our understanding of the different reasons people get OSA, the potential for effective new medications is growing stronger each year.”
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Can Nasal Sprays Help People with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
The study, published in the journal Chest, compared the medicine to a placebo in 12 persons with OSA who used nasal drops, a nasal spray, or direct application via an endoscope.
The team discovered consistent and prolonged benefits in the patients’ airways staying open throughout sleep compared to the placebo therapy, regardless of the administration route utilized, while monitoring for sleep and airway activity over numerous sessions.
“Although a small study, our findings represent the first detailed investigation of this new treatment in people with OSA, with promising results,” says study lead author Dr. Amal Osman from FHMRI: Sleep Health. “The drug we tested is designed to target specific receptors that are expressed on the surface of the upper airways, triggering them more easily to activate the surrounding muscles to keep the airway open during sleep. While there’s still a long way to go in terms of clinical testing and development, our study shows targeting these receptors may be a promising avenue for future treatments.”
Source: Medindia
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