COMBINED treatment addressing both upper airway collapse and instability in the regulation of breathing in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) have shown promise in a recent study.

OSA is caused not only by the anatomical tendency of the upper airway – particularly the pharynx – to narrow or collapse during sleep, but also an instability in the regulation of breathing – a leading but underappreciated non-anatomical cause.

The Monash and Harvard-led study of 41 people with moderate-to-severe OSA tested whether combining a ventilatory control intervention – supplemental oxygen – with an upper airway mechanical intervention mandibular advancement device, known as MAD, improved treatment efficacy.

MADs are commonly used to treat OSA, while supplemental oxygen tends to be used for other respiratory disorders, such as COPD and emphysema.

The study found that treating both aspects of OSA with multiple treatments markedly reduced severity compared with either treatment alone.

Despite there being a combination of anatomical and non-anatomical issues behind OSA, this is the first time this combination has been tried in these patients, explained Associate Professor Brad Edwards, from the Monash University School of Psychological Sciences.

Read the paper HERE. KB

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