Hyderabad: Do you suffer from sleep apnea? If yes, you should read on. A US drug manufacturer says they have a shot at curing the dangerous disorder through their wonder drug, meant for obesity and diabetes control. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, sponsored by the drug manufacturer suggests that it may help treat the disorder.
According to an expert, more research will be needed to tell if the drug can be used as "a sole treatment" for obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when tissue in the throat relaxes and collapses during sleep, fully or partially blocking the airway.
'Sleep Apnea'
It is a dangerous condition wherein people struggle to breathe when they sleep. The disorder makes those affected stop and start breathing during their sleep. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, it is a serious sleep disorder, which is expected to worsen with risk factors including age and obesity. History shows the disorder is reported more commonly among men. In India, the incidence rate is more than 10 lakh cases are reported every year.
Loud snoring at sleep and having a tired feeling even after a full night's sleep are the major symptoms of sleep apnea. It can cause brain fog and daytime sleepiness but also severe long-term issues such as heart disease, dementia and early death.
At present, changes in lifestyle including weight loss and the use of a breathing assistance device, such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, at night as part of the treatment regimen. The disorder can last for years or be lifelong.
What Research Said
Tirzepatide is used in the medication in Eli Lilly and Co's weight-loss drug Zepbound and in the diabetes treatment Mounjaro. The study showed the medicine helped the patients with sleep apnea by reducing the severity of it, besides helping them to reduce weight and improve blood pressure and other health measures. The study was carried out on patients with obesity who had been taking the drug for a year.
Eli Lilly and Co who sponsored the research has applied to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow the use of the drug in the treatment of moderate to severe sleep apnea. The FDA is likely to decide on the application by the end of the year, AP reported.
The Study's Findings
The research studied 500 people diagnosed with obesity and sleep apnea. While half of them used a CPAP machine, which feeds oxygen through a mask to keep airways open during sleep, the rest had people for whom a CPAP machine had failed or wasn't tolerated.
The patients from both groups received weekly tirzepatide injections. The drug halved the episodes of breath slowing down or stopping completely . The hourly analysis showed the efficacy rate went up to 60%. The same was at about 10% in the group which received the placebo. The study showed nearly half of the patients taking tirzepatide had reduced sleep apnea episodes and it was to the extent to which it may resolve the disorder. Also, the same was experienced at 16% in those who received a placebo, the study showed.
