Latest news with #sleepapnea
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
"I can't even tell you how important this is" — expert reveals why 90% of women don't know they have sleep apnea
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Sleep apnea is a condition where your breathing temporarily stops or is disrupted during the night. When you experience this, your brain automatically wakes you from your slumber. You might let out a loud snore, a snort or make a gasping sound in order to breathe again. In women, snoring can be much less pronounced so it's not as easy to tell from this symptom alone. Women are more likely to experience daytime sleepiness, impaired focus and mood changes. This can lead to delays in diagnosis as sleep apnea in women can be mistaken for anxiety, depression and menopause. As the signs are more subtle, research suggests as many as 90% of women who have sleep apnea may be unaware they have it. We've chatted with a sleep medicine specialist and a clinical sleep educator to find out more about this important sleep health topic for women. What is sleep apnea? 'Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing stops or is disrupted at night time, eroding an individual's quality of sleep,' explains Dr Anthony Izzo, a board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine specialist who is Sleep Center Medical Director at St Vincent Hospital. 'Each time breathing stops, the brain receives an alert about low oxygen, and it's forced from a deep stage of sleep to a light stage to brief wakefulness in order to address the alert.' There are two main types of sleep apnea: obstructive and central. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is much more common says Dr Izzo. 'OSA occurs because tissues in the top of the airway, behind the nose and mouth, collapse down when the muscles that keep them up relax during sleep as this blocks the flow of air to the lungs,' he explains. 'Central sleep apnea happens when the brain doesn't create the right signal to breath,' he adds. 'It's associated with underlying medical conditions like congestive heart failure, lung diseases, or long-term use of opioid medications. But we don't see much of this in clinical practice.' Does sleep apnea affect women differently to men? Yes, it very much does. Women are more likely to experience subtle symptoms such as mood changes and not being able to focus or concentrate well day after day. This means diagnosis can be delayed or the condition can be mistaken for the symptoms of the menopause or depression. 'I can't even tell you how important this is as sleep apnea in women often goes undiagnosed,' explains Lauri Leadley, clinical sleep educator, president and founder of Valley Sleep Center. 'The symptoms are sometimes attributed to general life challenges such as stress, and the menopause. But the truth is sleep apnea in women is overlooked.' Symptoms of sleep apnea in women Although men and women do experience some similar symptoms of sleep apnea, like snoring, there are also differences. Women are more likely to experience these subtle signs. Frequent morning headaches If you're prone to starting your mornings with a dull headache, this could be a tell-tale sign. Morning headaches that are present as soon as you wake up are associated with obstructive sleep apnea. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Headache and Pain looked at 48 people who had been diagnosed with OSA and experienced morning headaches. They found 25% had morning headaches for more than 15 days per month. Mood changes Obstructive sleep apnea and its impact on sleep quality can also worsen feeling anxious, irritable and impatient. It can affect your mood and could also lead to depression. 'Sometimes when your symptoms aren't severe, it can be easy to write them off as nothing to worry about,' Lauri explains. 'But my advice is to be mindful about frequent mood swings that regularly leave you feeling anxious or low. No, it is not just you being bitchy or hard to deal with.' Forgetfulness and fuzzy thinking Although women with sleep apnea are less likely to experience loud snoring as they suddenly wake during the night, the condition can still disrupt their sleep quality. Unsurprisingly, this has a knock-on impact on your cognitive health. You may have difficulty thinking clearly, and your attention, focus and concentration can also be impaired. 'Having trouble with focus or memory throughout the day may be the only symptoms a woman with sleep apnea experiences, even though they might not think it's related,' explains Dr Izzo. Dry mouth in the morning Regularly waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat can also indicate obstructive sleep apnea. It's regarded as a key symptom in OSA and it's caused by your breathing being impaired throughout the night. This can lead to a drop in oxygen concentration as a result of open-mouth breathing. Your mouth then becomes dry and you could also be more likely to experience morning headaches too. Needing to go the toilet more at night 'Frequent urination during the night can also be a sign of sleep apnea in women,' says Lauri. As OSA causes frequent sleep disruptions, you may find this makes you want to go to the toilet more during the night. If you find you're waking to urinate several times at night, it could still indicate OSA (even if it seems like a separate and unrelated issue). What causes sleep apnea in women? Some of the causes of OSA are similar for both men and women. For example, weight gain and the shape or anatomy of the upper airway. With central sleep apnea, it's often associated with underlying medical conditions such as congestive heart failure and lung diseases. We also see sleep apnea worsen during menopause Hormonal changes can play a key role in the onset of sleep apnea in women as Dr Izzo explains. 'We know that sleep apnea typically can happen in patients without a prior history, starting in the second trimester of pregnancy. It can worsen in severity throughout the second and third trimesters,' he says. 'We also see sleep apnea worsen during menopause, although typically patients will have already been diagnosed pre-menopause in this situation,' he adds. 'Menopause is often associated with weight gain, which in turn, worsens sleep apnea severity.' How women can treat sleep apnea While the symptoms of sleep apnea may present differently, the solutions remain largely the same. But it's different for everyone, so be sure to speak directly with a physician. Below are common treatments for sleep apnea. Lifestyle changes For mild sleep apnea, lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking and losing weight and improving sleep hygiene can be very beneficial in treating the condition. If you also have allergies which affect your breathing such as allergic rhinitis, your physician or sleep specialist could suggest a treatment that could help to mitigate your allergy symptoms. Keeping regularly active is good for your lungs as well as your general health and could help to reduce the number of breathing pauses you experience while you sleep. CPAP mask If lifestyle changes don't fully help to treat your sleep apnea symptoms, you may be provided with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine and mask. 'A CPAP mask is considered first line for sleep apnea as it's effective for all severities of OSA,' says Dr Izzo. The machine works by delivering air at pressure through a mask that is placed over your nose and mouth. It can help to keep your airways open to prevent impaired breathing while you sleep. Mouthguard Another treatment alternative for mild to moderate sleep apnea is an oral device such as a sleep apnea mouthguard that you would wear at bedtime. These are designed to keep your throat open while you sleep to lessen symptoms. They work by preventing your tongue from blocking your throat and this can help to prevent snoring. Another option is a mouthguard that works slightly differently by moving your lower jaw forward to keep your throat open. These oral devices are easier to use but you may not find them comfortable, and they may not work for everyone.
Phone Arena
6 days ago
- Health
- Phone Arena
Apple Watch quietly unlocks powerful health feature in more countries
Apple's health-focused features are now expanding with the rollout of sleep apnea detection on Apple Watch to Australian users. A new watchOS update is bringing the feature to users in Australia. Sleep apnea detection is a data-driven respiratory monitoring feature, and is available for the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. This new feature joins a growing suite of health tools on Apple Watch that are already available in over 150 countries and regions: the US, EU, and Japan. Apple's "Sleep Apnea Notifications" feature relies on the timepiece's accelerometer and tracks subtle wrist movements, which it tags as Breathing Disturbances. It gauges interruptions in breathing patterns. Sleep apnea detection. | Image Credit - Apple Every night, these readouts are collected and combined, and then they are visible in the Health app on your iPhone. Elevated breathing disturbances are flagged over a 30-day check period. Apple says that the feature uses machine learning models trained with nearly 4,000 nights of clinical-grade sleep data, which was collected from over 2,100 participants. Meanwhile, a validation study confirmed that the people that the sleep apnea algorithm identified all had at least mild sleep apnea. Basically, you will receive a notification if your Apple Watch detects consistent signs of moderate or severe sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a common condition in which your breathing may stop and restart many times during your sleep. This can cause you not to get enough oxygen. The notification you may get from your Apple Watch will give you information about the period when it happened. Of course, as with any health-related Apple Watch (or other Watches too) feature at the moment, it is not to be used for a diagnostic tool, and always, when you have doubts about your health, you should seek medical advice. I personally think that adding sleep apnea detection to the Apple Watch is a really meaningful upgrade. It's impressive how far wearables have come: from counting steps to now potentially flagging serious sleep conditions. I love seeing tech being used in ways that support long-term health, not just fitness tracking. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
June in Review: 14 Top Health Press Releases
A roundup of the most newsworthy healthcare press releases from PR Newswire, including a nasal spray for sleep apnea, a landmark study in clinical cancer research and a new approach to increasing longevity. NEW YORK, July 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each month, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help healthcare journalists and consumers stay on top of the month's most popular releases and newsworthy trends, here's a recap of some of the past month's most read- and engaged-with stories. The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download. Novo Nordisk terminates collaboration with Hims & Hers Health, Inc. due to concerns about their illegal mass compounding and deceptive marketingIn support of transitioning patients from knock-off versions to authentic versions of Wegovy®, Novo Nordisk began collaborating with telehealth companies. Over one month into the collaboration, Hims & Hers Health, Inc. has failed to adhere to the law which prohibits mass sales of compounded drugs under the false guise of "personalization" and are disseminating deceptive marketing that put patient safety at risk. Big4Bio and BYTE51 Announce Partnership at 2025 BIO International Convention to Make Life Sciences Intelligence Accessible to All BYTE51 provides powerful tools for exploring privately held biotech companies, allowing users to filter by scientific indications, mechanisms of action, funding stages, location, capital raised, clinical progress, investors, and partners. This empowers VCs, business developers, and startup executives alike to make faster, smarter, and more strategic decisions, all of which can benefit the diverse Big4Bio audience. Lilly to acquire Verve Therapeutics to advance one-time treatments for people with high cardiovascular risk"VERVE-102 has the potential to be the first in vivo gene editing therapy for broad patient populations and could shift the treatment paradigm for cardiovascular disease from chronic care to one-and-done treatment," said Ruth Gimeno, Lilly group vice president, Diabetes and Metabolic Research and Development. Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC and 9amHealth Join Forces to Expand Access to Affordable Obesity Care Employees will now have access to low-cost, high-quality medications through Cost Plus Drugs, alongside 9amHealth's expert Care Team of Obesity Medicine physicians, endocrinologists, and cardiometabolic specialists—all available without long waits or costly appointments. Klotho Neuroscience, Inc. Announces an Approach To Increase Longevity and Healthy Life Span – Replace a Silenced Gene Called Alpha-Klotho ("α- KLOTHO") Recent clinical and pre-clinical studies and analysis indicates the potential to increase lifespan and reduce age-associated degeneration in multiple organ systems has be realized with a focus on the human gene called Klotho. AbbVie to Acquire Capstan Therapeutics, Further Strengthening Commitment to Transforming Patient Care in Immunology "By advancing CPTX2309 and utilizing Capstan's novel platform technology, AbbVie and Capstan aim to transform the care of those living with autoimmune diseases by developing treatments that have the potential to reset the immune system," said Roopal Thakkar, M.D., executive vice president, research and development and chief scientific officer, AbbVie. Neuspera Medical Receives FDA Approval for First Integrated Sacral Neuromodulation (iSNM) System for Urinary Urge Incontinence "For too long, patients have had to weigh the benefits of SNM therapy against real concerns about complications related to implanted batteries and the need for surgeries to replace it. Neuspera's integrated system provides symptom relief without these additional burdens," said Dr. Howard Goldman, vice-chairman of Urology at the Cleveland Clinic. Shasqi Publishes Landmark Study in Clinical Cancer Research: First-in-Human Use of Click Chemistry Unlocks New Opportunities for Targeted Cancer Therapies Shasqi's Click Activated Protodrugs Against Cancer (CAPAC®) platform is a pre-targeting technology composed of a tumor binding agent and a protodrug. Administered sequentially, these components are designed to only click with each other via a click chemistry reaction occurring directly at the tumor site. This releases high concentrations of cancer drugs at the tumor while sparing healthy tissues. Illumina to acquire SomaLogic, accelerating its proteomics business and advancing the company's multiomics strategy This transaction builds on a co-development agreement Illumina established with SomaLogic in December 2021 to bring the SomaScan® Proteomics Assay onto Illumina's high-throughput next-generation-sequencing (NGS) platforms. Cochlear introduces the Baha® 7 Sound Processor and Baha SoundBand™ The Processor is the first in bone conduction to enable Bluetooth® LE Audio* and Auracast™ broadcast audio streaming capabilities. As more venues adopt Auracast technology, Baha 7 Sound Processor recipients can access audio streams in places like theaters, concert halls, lecture halls and airports, through an LE Audio-enabled smartphone. Novogene Certified for Olink® Services Across Multiple Labs; Expands Proteomics Portfolio with Olink® Reveal "With Olink® Reveal offering deep insights into inflammatory biology, we empower researchers to accelerate biomarker discovery, translational research, and precision medicine. This recognition further enhances Novogene's leadership in comprehensive multi-omics solutions," said Justin Lee, Novogene VP of Global Marketing. Mosanna Therapeutics Launches with $80 Million to Advance Novel Nighttime Nasal Spray for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Mosanna is pioneering a pharmaceutical solution for sleep apnea patients with MOS118, a nasal spray administered at bedtime that helps restore the body's natural airway reflex. Research has shown that, for reasons yet unknown, the natural airway reflex in OSA patients exhibits decreased activity during sleep resulting in loss of airway patency and apnea. Grady Launches Emergency Medical Helicopter in Partnership with Air Methods This cutting-edge air ambulance will be staffed entirely by Grady medical personnel – highly trained nurses, paramedics, and critical care specialists – while experienced pilots from Air Methods will operate the aircraft. The partnership brings together top-tier medical care and aviation expertise to deliver life-saving interventions to patients faster than ever before. Visby Medical™ Raises up to $65 Million in New Financing Round to Accelerate Launch of Groundbreaking At-Home Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Test "Visby Medical has delivered the first and only laboratory-grade STI testing solution that can be made directly accessible to individuals. We were eager to invest in Visby ahead of their FDA clearance, knowing this would represent a breakthrough moment for the diagnostics industry," said Isaac Ro, Catalio Capital Management Partner. For more news like this, check out all of the latest health-related releases from PR Newswire. Trending Topics Among the health news that was distributed in June, the PR Newswire team was able spot several larger stories that highlight the trends shaping the industry. Men's Mental Health: Men's Mental Health Month aims to break the stigma and explore the factors that play into to the often less talked about issue. Studies released in June point looked into several contributing factors. According to Postpartum Support International, at least one in ten fathers experience postpartum depression during the perinatal period with as many as 50% of fathers suffering at the same time as their partners. On the financial side of things, Beyond Finance revealed financial distress is fueling a silent mental health crisis among men, driven by secrecy, shame and isolation. Men have reported feeling frustrated, anxious, overwhelmed and embarrassed because of their financial situation — yet nearly a quarter (22%) don't feel comfortable seeking out financial advice from anyone. Sleep Health: The Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) hosted its annual meeting, SLEEP 2025, in Seattle from June 8-11. The event showcased several advances shaping the future of sleep medicine. Researchers from Huxley Medical shared data highlighting the capabilities of the SANSA home sleep apnea test. Another study, this one from Rest and SleepScore Labs, showed significant perceived improvements in sleep comfort, temperature regulation and overall sleep quality when using Rest's Evercool® products like pillowcases and sheets. Do you have a health press release to distribute? Sign up with PR Newswire to share your story with the audiences who matter most. Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists. Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers, and freelancers have access to the following free features: Customization: Users can create customized newsfeeds that will deliver relevant news right to their inbox. Newsfeed results can be targeted by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include in a journalist or blogger's next story. Subject Matter Experts: Journalists will have access to ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in their articles. Related Resources: Our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, features regular media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more. About PR Newswire PR Newswire is the industry's leading press release distribution partner with an unparalleled global reach of more than 440,000 newsrooms, websites, direct feeds, journalists and influencers and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages. From our award-winning Content Services offerings, integrated media newsroom and microsite products, Investor Relations suite of services, paid placement and social sharing tools, PR Newswire has a comprehensive catalog of solutions to solve the modern-day challenges PR and communications teams face. For 70 years, PR Newswire has been the preferred destination for brands to share their most important news stories across the world. For questions, contact the team at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE PR Newswire Sign in to access your portfolio
CNN
11-07-2025
- Health
- CNN
Most sleep apnea treatments blow. This one sucks. Is it on to something?
For a potentially serious medical condition, it's remarkable how few people know they have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA, in which a person's upper airway collapses, causing irregular breathing, is the most common sleep-related breathing condition. One study estimated well over 900 million adults between 30 and 69 years old may have it worldwide, though as many as four in five moderate-to-severe cases are undiagnosed. Left untreated, it can increase the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, hearth attack, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, and yet untreated is what most cases — diagnosed and undiagnosed — are. The good news is that for people with a diagnosis, there have never been more ways to remedy the problem. With the global sleep apnea device market valued at $8.52 billion in 2024 and projected to rise to nearly $13 billion by 2030, according to one 2025 report, medical tech companies are developing new solutions. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, which push air into the mouth to maintain open airways, are highly effective and have long been considered the gold standard treatment. However, CPAP can have a high initial dropout rate, with users citing the discomfort of wearing a mask strapped to the face, or the lifestyle adaptations required to use the machine. Despite CPAP's dominance, the marketplace for solutions is opening up. Mandibular advancement devices worn over teeth hold the lower jaw and tongue forward; neurostimulation implants trigger the hypoglossal nerve into action to prevent the tongue and soft tissues from blocking airways; there's also a drug being trialed that's designed to stimulate the nerve. Another alternative is negative pressure devices, which unlike CPAP, suck instead of blow, pulling the tongue and soft tissues up and forward in the mouth. So far, such devices haven't been shown to be as effective as CPAP, but the technology is slowly finding its place in the market, with Taiwanese company Somnics Health carving out a foothold. Roughly the size of a smartphone, Somnics' iNAP is a battery-powered device that attaches to a narrow tube with a flexible mouthpiece at the other end. That is worn inside the mouth, and once switched on, negative pressure keeps airways open. Users then breathe through their nose as normal. 'The beauty of it is it allows natural breathing … and it's a very comfortable, quiet and efficient solution,' said Somnics general manager Olivier Lauzeral in a video interview. The iNAP was conceived over a decade ago by Somnics founder Chung Chu Chen, who combined his research with intellectual property purchased from US company Apnicure (which went out of business in 2017, said Lauzeral) to create a negative pressure product. Initial R&D and clinical work took place in Taiwan, where it was first approved by authorities. Since then it has been gradually introduced to new markets across Asia and Europe, winning multiple design awards. In 2020 it was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States among adults with obstructive sleep apnea who won't use CPAP. Today, around 3,000 patients use the iNAP in the US, said Lauzeral, and around 10,000 worldwide. While studies have shown that negative pressure devices are less effective than CPAP, Lauzeral said that the company's target market is patients who decide not to use CPAP and mandibular devices, but are not ready for a surgical solution like neurostimulation. 'Seventy percent of our patients are 'CPAP failing,'' he explained. 'That was our first way to adopt patients — to talk to those who had that experience with CPAP. The other 30% are what we call 'naïve patients,' (meaning) they hadn't tried any other treatments before.' Lauzeral hopes that the convenience of a discreet and portable device that can run for five nights on a single charge will attract patients from younger demographics. 'Half of the population with sleep apnea is younger than 53,' he said. 'A lot of those patients don't want to touch a CPAP. 'What's sad to see is those people being in denial, not wanting to be treated when they're in their 30s or early 40s. They don't get into their treatment, then their sleep apnea deteriorates… 10 years later they have no choice but getting into CPAP and at that point their health is really not good.' Somnics has recently introduced a subscription model in the US, whereby patients can pay for the device in installments over 24 months, which retails at $1,399. Unlike most CPAP machines, the prescription-only iNAP is not currently covered by health insurance in the US, though Lauzeral said Somnics is hoping to change this. Dr. Hrayr Attarian, a sleep medicine specialist and professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told CNN that there need to be bigger studies on the efficacy of iNAP. 'The research out there was done in small groups of people,' he said in an email. 'Even with those limitations,' studies showed improvements in 75% and 83% of patients, 'vs. close to 95% with CPAP,' he added. Attarian characterized the device as 'an alternative but not a replacement for CPAP,' though agreed that Somnics' treatment was 'less intrusive.' Surveying the market, although 'OSA treatments are going to be more fragmented… nothing so far has the same efficacy of CPAP,' he said. To become a viable competitor, negative pressure manufacturers need to conduct clinical trials with 'a larger number of participants with all degrees of (OSA) severity,' he added. Dr. Johan Verbraecken, pulmonologist and medical coordinator at the Sleep Disorders Centre, Antwerp University Hospital, agreed that more research would help establish the effectiveness of the iNAP. Currently, it's not a first-line treatment, he said — particularly for severe cases of OSA. Verbraecken described it as an 'add-on treatment instead of a standalone treatment.' He said that the iNAP has minimal side effects but argued that to compete with CPAP, the product needs to more effectively reduce patients' Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) — how often a person's breathing slows or stops during sleep. 'There has always been an interest in (CPAP) alternatives,' he said. 'These numbers grow, given more patients get the diagnosis, while the absolute number of people not tolerant to CPAP is growing accordingly. On the other hand, the dropout rate is lowering, given better CPAP and mask technology.' Somnics will be banking that there will continue to be a percentage of patients who will remain averse to CPAP. 'We're ready to start working with partners that will help us really get to the next level and grow and capture all those patients,' said Lauzeral.
CNN
11-07-2025
- Health
- CNN
Most sleep apnea treatments blow. This one sucks. Is it on to something?
For a potentially serious medical condition, it's remarkable how few people know they have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA, in which a person's upper airway collapses, causing irregular breathing, is the most common sleep-related breathing condition. One study estimated well over 900 million adults between 30 and 69 years old may have it worldwide, though as many as four in five moderate-to-severe cases are undiagnosed. Left untreated, it can increase the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, hearth attack, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, and yet untreated is what most cases — diagnosed and undiagnosed — are. The good news is that for people with a diagnosis, there have never been more ways to remedy the problem. With the global sleep apnea device market valued at $8.52 billion in 2024 and projected to rise to nearly $13 billion by 2030, according to one 2025 report, medical tech companies are developing new solutions. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, which push air into the mouth to maintain open airways, are highly effective and have long been considered the gold standard treatment. However, CPAP can have a high initial dropout rate, with users citing the discomfort of wearing a mask strapped to the face, or the lifestyle adaptations required to use the machine. Despite CPAP's dominance, the marketplace for solutions is opening up. Mandibular advancement devices worn over teeth hold the lower jaw and tongue forward; neurostimulation implants trigger the hypoglossal nerve into action to prevent the tongue and soft tissues from blocking airways; there's also a drug being trialed that's designed to stimulate the nerve. Another alternative is negative pressure devices, which unlike CPAP, suck instead of blow, pulling the tongue and soft tissues up and forward in the mouth. So far, such devices haven't been shown to be as effective as CPAP, but the technology is slowly finding its place in the market, with Taiwanese company Somnics Health carving out a foothold. Roughly the size of a smartphone, Somnics' iNAP is a battery-powered device that attaches to a narrow tube with a flexible mouthpiece at the other end. That is worn inside the mouth, and once switched on, negative pressure keeps airways open. Users then breathe through their nose as normal. 'The beauty of it is it allows natural breathing … and it's a very comfortable, quiet and efficient solution,' said Somnics general manager Olivier Lauzeral in a video interview. The iNAP was conceived over a decade ago by Somnics founder Chung Chu Chen, who combined his research with intellectual property purchased from US company Apnicure (which went out of business in 2017, said Lauzeral) to create a negative pressure product. Initial R&D and clinical work took place in Taiwan, where it was first approved by authorities. Since then it has been gradually introduced to new markets across Asia and Europe, winning multiple design awards. In 2020 it was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States among adults with obstructive sleep apnea who won't use CPAP. Today, around 3,000 patients use the iNAP in the US, said Lauzeral, and around 10,000 worldwide. While studies have shown that negative pressure devices are less effective than CPAP, Lauzeral said that the company's target market is patients who decide not to use CPAP and mandibular devices, but are not ready for a surgical solution like neurostimulation. 'Seventy percent of our patients are 'CPAP failing,'' he explained. 'That was our first way to adopt patients — to talk to those who had that experience with CPAP. The other 30% are what we call 'naïve patients,' (meaning) they hadn't tried any other treatments before.' Lauzeral hopes that the convenience of a discreet and portable device that can run for five nights on a single charge will attract patients from younger demographics. 'Half of the population with sleep apnea is younger than 53,' he said. 'A lot of those patients don't want to touch a CPAP. 'What's sad to see is those people being in denial, not wanting to be treated when they're in their 30s or early 40s. They don't get into their treatment, then their sleep apnea deteriorates… 10 years later they have no choice but getting into CPAP and at that point their health is really not good.' Somnics has recently introduced a subscription model in the US, whereby patients can pay for the device in installments over 24 months, which retails at $1,399. Unlike most CPAP machines, the prescription-only iNAP is not currently covered by health insurance in the US, though Lauzeral said Somnics is hoping to change this. Dr. Hrayr Attarian, a sleep medicine specialist and professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told CNN that there need to be bigger studies on the efficacy of iNAP. 'The research out there was done in small groups of people,' he said in an email. 'Even with those limitations,' studies showed improvements in 75% and 83% of patients, 'vs. close to 95% with CPAP,' he added. Attarian characterized the device as 'an alternative but not a replacement for CPAP,' though agreed that Somnics' treatment was 'less intrusive.' Surveying the market, although 'OSA treatments are going to be more fragmented… nothing so far has the same efficacy of CPAP,' he said. To become a viable competitor, negative pressure manufacturers need to conduct clinical trials with 'a larger number of participants with all degrees of (OSA) severity,' he added. Dr. Johan Verbraecken, pulmonologist and medical coordinator at the Sleep Disorders Centre, Antwerp University Hospital, agreed that more research would help establish the effectiveness of the iNAP. Currently, it's not a first-line treatment, he said — particularly for severe cases of OSA. Verbraecken described it as an 'add-on treatment instead of a standalone treatment.' He said that the iNAP has minimal side effects but argued that to compete with CPAP, the product needs to more effectively reduce patients' Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) — how often a person's breathing slows or stops during sleep. 'There has always been an interest in (CPAP) alternatives,' he said. 'These numbers grow, given more patients get the diagnosis, while the absolute number of people not tolerant to CPAP is growing accordingly. On the other hand, the dropout rate is lowering, given better CPAP and mask technology.' Somnics will be banking that there will continue to be a percentage of patients who will remain averse to CPAP. 'We're ready to start working with partners that will help us really get to the next level and grow and capture all those patients,' said Lauzeral.
