Washington: Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have identified the first most effective drug, an antidepressant called mirtazapine, to treat sleep apnea.

This disorder may stop breathing of people hundreds of times a night, often for a minute or longer, thus leading to death at times. It is also linked with increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and adult-onset diabetes. Behavioural problems and cognitive impairments can also occur due to insufficient rest.

Mirtazapine blocks the activity of a chemical in the nervous system called serotonin that is involved in regulating mood, emotion, appetite and sleep. Clinical trials showed that all 12 patients who participated in the study showed improvement.

"The drug provided the largest benefit and the most consistent improvement of any pharmaceutical therapy tested in controlled studies to date," said David Carley, professor of medicine, pharmacology and bioengineering and director of research at the UIC Center for Sleep and Ventilatory Disorders.

"This has real clinical significance," said Radulovacki. "An estimated 15-20 million people in the United States suffer from sleep apnea, yet there is currently no cure and no fully effective long-term treatment for the disorder."

ANI