EFFECTS OF ACETAZOLAMIDE ON THE SLEEP-APNEA SYNDROME AND ITS THERAPEUTIC MECHANISM

Twenty male patients with sleep apnea syndrome were treated with aceta zolamide (AZM), a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. In 14 of the patient a significant decrease was found in the number of apnea, apnea index an d % apnea time (percentage of time spent with apnea to the total sleep time) with improvement in sleep structure, clinical symptoms, such as insomnia, daytime excessive sleepiness and snoring. A significant dec rease was also observed in arterial blood pH and HCO3- in the 14 impro ved patients. On the other hand, no improvement occurred in the parame ters of sleep apnea and sleep with AZM in the remaining six patients. Moreover, metabolic acidosis and an improvement in arterial blood gase s did not occur with AZM in the six patients