A nasal spray tested on a small sample of people with obstructive sleep apnea reduced the severity of the breathing disorder. The results offer a new way to relieve symptoms, as current solutions are limited.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder. While there are currently no medications approved to treat this syndrome caused by obstructions in the back of the throat airways, it is necessary to relieve the symptoms. Say goodbye to masks pressurepressure positive (poorly tolerated), or even upper airway surgery, here is the potassium channel inhibitor nasal spray!
Australian researchers tested this drug to see if it reduced gravitygravity symptoms of OSA. “ When used in a nasal spray, blockers have the potential to increase the activity of the muscles that keep the upper airways open and reduce the likelihood of a subsidencesubsidence throat during sleep “, said Amal Osman, lead author of the study published in Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
A new treatment option
The scientists found that seven of ten study participants with OSA (half women, average age 55) had a modest reduction in severity of the disorder when the nasal spray was combined with unrestricted breathing compared with A placeboplacebo. In addition to better breathing during sleep, these people experienced improved oxygen levels and a reduction in blood pressure the following day.
Study participants randomly received one of three treatments: a placebo nasal spray, a nasal spray containing a potassium channel blocker, or a nasal spray containing the blocker but with only nasal breathing (with use of ‘adhesive tape oraloral). According to the authors, people who benefited from this latter treatment did not show any improvement.
