Indicated in type 2 diabetes, tirzepatide also appears promising in the treatment of sleep apnea, according to a recent study. Encouraging results for the billion individuals who suffer, in the world, from obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).
Soon a first drug treatment against sleep apnea syndrome? Published on June 21 in the journal The New england journal of medicine, a study from the University of California School of Medicine shows convincing results obtained with tirzepatide. This drug, developed by the pharmaceutical group Eli Lilly and Company, belongs to a new class of antidiabetics, from the family of double agonists of the GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) receptors. which helps promote weight loss at the same time as lowering blood sugar levels.
Two randomized, double-blind phase III clinical trials involved a cohort of 469 individuals. All suffered from obesity, associated with moderate to severe sleep apnea syndrome. As a reminder, obesity is the main risk factor for the occurrence of sleep apnea syndrome.
A greatly reduced number of apneas and hypopneas
Participants were divided into two groups: those who received CPAP treatment – continuous positive airway pressure, which consists of using a face mask connected to a device that sends pressurized air to clear the airways during the night – and those who were not treated with CPAP. Some received 10 or 15 mg of tirzepatide for 52 weeks, others a placebo. The AHI index was then measured per hour, which corresponds, in one hour of sleep, to the number of apneas and hypopneas (decrease in the amplitude of breathing associated with a drop in the oxygen level or a brief awakening).
Result ? In Trial 1, including participants who were not treated with CPAP, AHI decreased by 25.3 events per hour (51.5 events at baseline). In patients already treated with CPAP, who initially had an AHI of 49.5 events, there were 29.3 fewer events observed with tirzepatide. The treatment also helped reduce cardiovascular risk factors and allowed weight loss in patients.
Impaired quality of life and long-term cardiometabolic risks
For Dr. Atul Malhotra, lead author of the study, director of the sleep department at UC San Diego Health, “this new drug treatment offers an alternative to people who cannot tolerate or adhere to existing therapies (CPAP treatment being restrictive)“. He adds : “We believe that the combination of CPAP therapy and weight loss will be optimal for improving cardiometabolic risk and symptoms. Tirzepatide may also target specific underlying mechanisms of sleep apnea, potentially leading to more personalized and effective treatment“Next steps will need to examine the longer-term effects of tirzepatide.
Sleep apnea syndrome, or obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), affects nearly 1 billion people worldwide, 1.8 million in France. It has serious consequences on the quality of life of patients (drowsiness, extreme fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating). And, in the long term, this sleep disorder increases the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (metabolic syndrome, hypertension, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, heart rhythm disorders).
