New pill to beat common cause of heavy snoring could be on the way as trial finds disrupted breathing and broken sleep halved in participants First ever drug treatment, known as AD109, could help 1.5million UK adults By Roger Dobson Published: 01:08 BST, 25 June 2024 | Updated: 01:08 BST, 25 June 2024 e-mail View comments A new nightly pill could help to banish heavy snoring. In trials, many volunteers saw symptoms such as disrupted breathing and broken sleep nearly halved.
The pill, potentially the first ever drug treatment for heavy snorers, is thought to work by strengthening muscles in the airways to stop the tissue collapsing and blocking the flow of air. This is the main cause of obstructive sleep apnoea, the snoring condition that affects about 1.5 million UK adults .
As the throat muscles relax during sleep, surrounding tissue narrows or blocks the airways, interrupting normal breathing. Trials of a new pill for heavy snorers saw symptoms such as heavy breathing and broken sleep nearly halved (file photo) People with sleep apnoea endure repeated interruptions to their breathing which last ten seconds or more — until the lack of oxygen triggers the brain to kick-start breathing again. Symptoms include loud snoring, noisy and laboured breathing, and daytime tiredness.
Those affected usually have no memory of the interruptions. Untreated sleep apnoea can raise the risk of stroke and heart disease. The main treatment for sleep apnoea is continuous positive airway pressu.