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Researchers from Sydney’s Woolcock Institute of Medical Research are searching for a drug to combat sleep apnea, a condition affecting up to five percent of Australians.

Obstructive sleep apnea interrupts sleep, causing daytime sleepiness and difficulty remembering. Current treatments include an uncomfortable breathing device called a CPAP, which is strapped to the patient’s face, dental devices or surgery.

“Currently we find many sufferers are reticent to sleep attached to a machine [like the CPAP],” says Associate Professor Ron Grunstein, head of the Sleep and Circadian Research Group at the Woolcock Institute.

“Not only does CPAP restrict their movement during sleep, but it can also be a source of frustration for partners who share their bed.”

The institute is seeking 142 people in four trial centres across Sydney who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea and meet a range of other criteria to take part in their trial.

Dr Grunstein says identifying a drug to treat obstructive sleep apnea would transform the way the condition was treated in Australia.

“We believe the identification of a safe drug to treat the condition would see a lot more sufferers coming forward for treatment and a subsequent improvement in their health.”

(info from http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=54504)