Nasal Spray's Potential in Treating Sleep Apnea

Australian study reveals the potential of bedtime nasal spray to mitigate sleep apnea severity and lower blood pressure.

Bedtime nasal spray shows promise in alleviating sleep apnea severity and lowering blood pressure, offering hope to millions globally as per a study published in The Journal of Heart and Circulatory Physiology ().

“Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder where the muscles in the back of the throat relax and the upper airway narrows or collapses, restricting oxygen intake and causing people to wake repeatedly throughout the night,” says Professor Danny Eckert, College of Medicine and Public Health.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea should be suspected in overweight middle aged adults who snore loudly and which can cause interruption of breathing for 10 seconds or more and this results in reduced blood o

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“It has been linked to a variety of medical conditions including cardiovascular disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes, anxiety, and depression.

“Treatment options are limited and while continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines are a proven treatment for OSA, around 50 percent of people struggle to tolerate them,” he says.

The study aimed to determine the effects of a new potassium channel blocker nasal spray on OSA severity and to investigate the potential influence of different breathing approaches such as restricted ‘nasal only’ breathing and the physiological characteristics of those who had a favorable response.

Polysomnography
Polysomnography (PSG) or sleep study is a test done to diagnose sleep disorders by recording brain waves and sleep patterns. PSG can also be useful to monitor response to treatment of sleep disorders and adjust treatment plan suitably.

“Potassium channel blockers are a class of drugs that block the potassium channel in the central nervous system.

Hope for Millions Battling Sleep Apnea

When used in a nasal spray, the blockers have the potential to increase the activity of the muscles that keep the upper airway open and reduce the likelihood of the throat collapsing during sleep,” says lead author Dr Amal Osman.

Using a randomized, blind trial, 10 people with OSA were given either the potassium blocker nasal spray, a placebo nasal spray, or the potassium nasal spray in combination with restricted ‘nasal only’ breathing.

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Seven out of the 10 people responded to the potassium channel blocker nasal spray showing a reduction in the frequency of upper airway collapsing episodes during sleep and lower blood pressure the next morning.

The use of the spray with restricted ‘nasal only’ breathing did not improve the quality of sleep in this trial.

Sleep Disorders in Children
Sleep disorders are problems in sleep that meet diagnostic criteria for a disorder. They include insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, parasomnias and narcolepsy.

“What we have discovered is that the nasal spray application of the potassium channel blocker that we tested is safe and well tolerated. Those who had a physiological improvement in their airway function during sleep also had between 25-45% reductions in markers of their OSA severity including improved oxygen levels as well as a reduction in their blood pressure the next day,” says Dr Osman.

“These insights provide a potential pathway for the development of new therapeutic solutions for those people with OSA who are unable to tolerate CPAP machines and/or upper airway surgery, and those with a desire for alternatives to existing therapies,” says Professor Eckert.

“Right now, there are no approved drugs for treating OSA, but through these findings and future research we are getting closer to developing new and effective drugs that are safe and easy to use,” says Professor Eckert.

Reference:

A novel TASK channel antagonist nasal spray reduces sleep apnea severity in physiological responders: a randomized, blinded, trial - (https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpheart.00541.2023)

Source-Eurekalert