Treatment of Patients With the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome at Altitude

University of Zurich (UZH)

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 4

Conditions

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Treatments

Drug: acetazolamide

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT00714740

EK-1522

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of acetazolamide as a treatment for sleep related breathing disturbances in patients with the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome living at low altitude during a sojourn at moderate altitude

Enrollment

49 patients

Sex

All

Ages

20 to 70 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, successfully on CPAP therapy
Residence at low altitude (<800m)
Obstructive apnea/hypopnea index >20/h and a complaint of excessive daytime sleepiness before introduction of CPAP therapy.
>15 oxygen desaturations/h (>3% dips) during an ambulatory nocturnal pulse oximetry performed at the end of a 4-night period without CPAP

Exclusion criteria

Sleep disorders other than OSA.
More than mild cardiovascular disease, unstable or recently diagnosed (within the last 6 months) cardiovascular disease such as arterial hypertension, coronary artery or cerebrovascular disease.
Any lung disease, pulmonary hypertension.
Chronic rhinitis.
Treatment with drugs that affect respiratory center drive (benzodiazepines or other sedatives or sleep inducing drugs, morphine or codeine derivates), stimulants (modafinil, methylphenidate, theophylline)
Internal, neurologic or psychiatric disease that interfere with sleep quality.
Previous intolerance to moderate or low altitude (<2600m).
Exposure to altitudes >1500m for >1 day within the last 4 weeks before the study