Obstructive sleep apnea happens when the airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, causing breathing pauses and drops in oxygen. About 30 million Americans have it. Most people use a CPAP machine that keeps the airway open with air pressure, though other options include oral devices, nerve stimulation implants, and surgery.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing drugs that reduce airway collapse by targeting muscle tone and breathing control, nerve stimulation devices for people who can't tolerate CPAP, and combination approaches. Researchers are also studying how untreated sleep apnea contributes to heart disease, stroke, and dementia to see if treatment can reduce those risks.
Hypoglossal nerve stimulation
An implanted device stimulates the tongue nerve to keep the airway open during sleep. It's FDA-approved for moderate-to-severe sleep apnea when CPAP doesn't work, and newer studies are testing it in milder cases.
Drug treatments
Several drugs are in trials, including combinations that increase upper airway muscle tone and reduce airway collapsibility. This would be the first medication option for sleep apnea.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on sleep apnea severity measured by apnea-hypopnea index, body mass index, whether CPAP has been tried, and presence of heart or lung conditions.
What types of trials are currently open
- Device trials — Testing new or improved nerve stimulation implants, oral appliances, and alternatives to CPAP machines.
- Drug trials — Testing medications that reduce airway collapse by affecting muscle tone, breathing drive, or inflammation.
- Cardiovascular outcome trials — Following people with sleep apnea to see if treatment reduces heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events.
- Weight loss trials — Testing whether medications like semaglutide that produce significant weight loss can improve or resolve sleep apnea.
- Screening and diagnosis studies — Testing home sleep tests, wearable devices, and simpler ways to diagnose sleep apnea without overnight lab visits.
Recently added Obstructive Sleep Apnea trials
Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Body Awareness
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is a chronic disease characterized by intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation resulting from recurrent upper airway obstructions. The physiological and neurocognitive changes caused by the disease can affect how individuals perceive and interpret bodily sensations. Although body awareness plays a significant role in the perception and management of symptoms, its relationship with clinical parameters in individuals with OSAS has not been sufficiently investigated. Therefore, the aim of our study is to examine the relationship between body awareness and respiratory function, disease severity, fatigue, shortness of breath, and sleep quality in OSAS patients.
Complete screening tests for sleep apnea across different populations
The goal of this prospective observational study is to learn about the current prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome in community population, patients with specific diseases and special population from China. The main question it aims to answer is: (1) What are the prevalence and clinical characteristics of OSA in the community population, the specific disease population and the special population respectively? (2) How about the application value of each OSA screening questionnaire for different populations？Participants will all complete a screening questionnaire, and some will be selected by random sampling to complete either a polysomnography (PSG) or a portable sleep monitor (PM).
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