Around 700,000 people in Austria suffer from pauses in breathing during sleep, known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The main cause is obesity and a weakening of the tongue and throat muscles, it said in a release.
This massively hinders breathing during sleep. This leads to pauses in breathing, causing a lack of oxygen, and loud snoring. The specialists warned that daytime tiredness, increased blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases can be dangerous consequences. So far, a positive pressure sleeping mask has mainly been used for treatment. However, many people find wearing the mask uncomfortable and therefore use it too little or not at all.
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Now there are two completely new therapeutic approaches in the fight against obstructive sleep apnea: the weight loss injection and the anti-snoring pill. The lung experts see the dawn of a new era of personalized sleep medicine with these innovative treatment options, it was emphasized in the broadcast. Obesity is considered the main risk factor for OSA, which is why weight loss injections such as semaglutide (Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) come into play as an additional therapeutic approach.
Weight and pauses in breathing reduced
“The clinical logic is straightforward: weight loss is a primary lever that reduces fatty deposits in the upper airways and thus reduces obstruction,” explained Lukasz Antoniewicz, head of the ÖGP’s Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders Expert Group. The effect of tirzepatide has already been clearly demonstrated in patients with severe OSA. They lost an average of 18 to 20 percent of their body weight and their nocturnal pauses in breathing were significantly reduced, namely by up to 63 percent.
Dr. Thomas Bamberger
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“The effect of these medications also seems to go beyond pure weight loss. The active ingredients can reduce systemic inflammatory processes that are associated with both obesity and OSA,” Antoniewicz reported on a direct effect.
Anti-snoring pill not yet approved
Another promising pharmacological approach that does not target weight loss but rather the sagging tongue and throat muscles is the not yet approved oral drug combination of atomoxetine and oxybutynin, better known as the anti-snoring pill. “This dual approach directly addresses neuromuscular control of the upper airway,” explained Antoniewicz. “Atomoxetine is a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor usually used to treat ADHD. Oxybutynin is a so-called antimuscarinic drug that acts on the muscles of the urinary bladder wall in cases of overactive bladder.”
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“Studies showed that the combination of these two active ingredients reduced relaxation of the tongue muscles during sleep and supported nerve activity in the pharynx, leading to a halving of pauses in breathing,” said Antoniewicz. “This approach opens up new options for patients who cannot tolerate CPAP therapy or do not have weight-related OSA.” The manufacturer has conducted a registration study and an application for approval is expected to be submitted in the coming years.
Source: Nachrichten
