One step closer to a snoring ‘cure’ as scientists discover epilepsy drug ‘tackles killer condition to blame’

A SNORING ‘cure’ is one step closer.

An epilepsy drug could be a game-changer for people who have obstructive sleep apnoea, roughly 1.5 million adults in the UK.

Experts said the drug, sulthiame, reduced symptoms of the sleep disorder.

Sufferers of sleep apnoea experience stop-start breathing during sleep, leading to loud snoring, gasping for air, and regular wake-ups. 

The long-term consequences are far more troubling; high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even stroke, research shows.

Until now, those diagnosed have largely had to rely on a CPAP machine that covers the face at night.

It forces air through a mask to keep the airways open.

But there could now be an alternative, according to the study presented at the European Respiratory Society congress in Vienna.

Professor Jan Hedner, from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, who presented the research, said: “The standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea is sleeping with a machine that blows air through a face mask to keep the airways open.

“Unfortunately, many people find these machines hard to use over the long term, so there is a need to find alternative treatments.

“We also need better understanding of the underlying mechanisms in obstructive sleep apnoea to help clinicians give more personalised treatment.”

The study involved 298 patients across Europe who couldn’t or wouldn’t tolerate CPAP machines who were instead given varying doses of sulthiame or a placebo pill.

Tests were carried out at the start of the study then four and 12 weeks later to look at breathing, levels of oxygen in the blood, heart rhythm, eye movements, and brain and muscle activity during a night of sleep.

Breathing pauses dropped by almost 40 per cent in the highest dose group (300mg) and oxygen levels in the blood shot up, improving sleep quality.

Patients who had been feeling sleepy during the daytime felt less so when they took sulthiame.

Professor Jan Hedner, the brain behind the study, said: “Sulthiame could be the future for those who can’t handle the CPAP. 

“The results speak for themselves – better breathing, better oxygen levels, and less daytime sleepiness.”

Sulthiame is currently used for childhood epilepsy, but is unlicensed in the UK, meaning it is not routinely prescribed by the NHS. It is available in Australia, the US and other parts of Europe.

It works by inhibiting carbonic anhydrase, an enzyme involved in electrical activity in the brain. By reducing excessive electrical discharges, it helps to prevent seizures.

But there has been some recent research that the drug may also help regulate breathing while sleeping.

Researchers are gearing up for larger trials to confirm these promising results.

“We still need to carry out a phase III study to confirm the beneficial respiratory effects of this drug in a larger group of patients with obstructive sleep apnoea,” said Prof Hedner.

Professor Sophia Schiz, from the University of Crete, who was not involved in the research, said: “This is one of the first studies to suggest that a drug treatment could help some patients and the results are promising.

“We need to continue testing sulthiame and other treatments to understand their long-term effects, including any side effects.”

Erika Radford, head of health advice at Asthma and Lung UK, said: “What’s interesting about this research is it’s a first step in moving people away from breathing equipment you wear while you’re asleep, to a drug-based treatment.”

The research has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal.

Sleep apnoea can sometimes be treated by losing weight, giving up smoking and cutting down on alcohol.