Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when throat muscles relax during sleep and block the airway, causing repeated breathing interruptions that disrupt sleep and stress the heart and brain. CPAP is highly effective but difficult to tolerate long-term, which is why alternatives are urgently needed.
What's actually going on in research
A combination of two drugs — atomoxetine plus oxybutynin — activates upper airway muscles during sleep and has shown significant reductions in apnea events, representing the first promising drug treatment for OSA. Hypoglossal nerve stimulators that electrically activate tongue muscles during sleep are being refined and expanded to more patients. GLP-1 agonists used for weight loss are showing substantial OSA improvement, and large trials are now documenting cardiovascular benefits specifically in OSA patients.
Drug therapy (AD110)
The combination of atomoxetine and oxybutynin targets the upper airway muscle tone lost during sleep in OSA. Trials are refining dosing and testing this approach in diverse patient populations.
Hypoglossal stimulation
Surgically implanted devices that stimulate the hypoglossal nerve during sleep to keep the tongue and airway open are being tested in broader populations including children and positional OSA.
GLP-1 weight loss effects
Semaglutide and other GLP-1 agonists reduce weight substantially and have shown dramatic OSA improvement. Trials are documenting cardiovascular and cognitive benefits of OSA treatment through this pathway.
What to know before you search
Eligibility depends on AHI severity, BMI, anatomy score, CPAP failure or intolerance, and presence of cardiovascular comorbidities.
What types of trials are currently open
- Drug trials — Testing medications that improve upper airway muscle tone or ventilatory control during sleep.
- Device trials — Evaluating hypoglossal nerve stimulators, mandibular advancement devices, and positional therapy devices.
- CPAP improvement trials — Testing interfaces, auto-titration algorithms, and adherence interventions to improve CPAP use.
- Weight loss trials — Evaluating GLP-1 agonists and other weight-reduction strategies as OSA treatment.
- Cardiovascular outcomes trials — Testing whether OSA treatment reduces blood pressure, heart disease risk, and stroke in high-risk patients.
Recently added Obstructive Sleep Apnea trials
Impact of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation and Mitral Valve Repair on Sleep-Disordered Breathing
This prospective observational study aims to investigate the impact of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and transcatheter mitral valve edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) on sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in patients with significant valvular heart disease. Patients undergoing TAVI or M-TEER will be evaluated with full polysomnography prior to the intervention and at 6 months follow-up. Changes in sleep parameters, including apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), central and obstructive apnea indices, oxygen desaturation, and sleep architecture, will be assessed. In addition, the study will explore the association between changes in SDB and echocardiographic as well as arrhythmic parameters. The findings are expected to improve the understanding of the interaction between valvular heart disease and SDB and to identify potential benefits of transcatheter interventions on sleep-related outcomes.
Immune Status and Disease Control of Inflammatory Airway Diseases
The goal of this study is to learn how the body's immune system affects disease control in people with different airway inflammatory diseases.We want to understand: 1.Whether specific immune cell patterns in the blood are linked to how severe the disease is or how well it is controlled. Participants will: 1. Answer questions about their health and symptoms. 2. Give blood samples 3. Have lung function tests and other standard check-ups. 4. share sleep study results. We will compare people with airway diseases to healthy volunteers to see how their immune systems differ.
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