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| |  Eszopiclone Improves Compliance With Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: Presented at ATS SAN DIEGO, Calif -- May 19, 2009 -- A short course of the hypnotic medication eszopiclone in patients newly diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) significantly improves compliance with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, according to a study presented here at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2009 International Conference. By improving patient tolerance of CPAP, eszopiclone treatment resulted in fewer discontinuations (10.4% with eszopiclone and 16.9% with placebo; P = .24), the researchers reported. CPAP is recommended as first-line therapy for OSA, but 50% of OSA patients discontinue use within the first year, with most terminating therapy in the first month, said Anita A. Shah, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC, on May 17. The study sample comprised 144 patients aged 45.5 +- 7.2 years with a mean body mass index of 30.4 +- 4.0 kg/m2. The baseline Epworth Sleepiness Scale score was 12.5 +- 4.3. Patients were randomised to receive eszopiclone 3 mg daily (n = 77) or a matching placebo (n = 77) for the first 14 days of the study. OSA characteristics for the placebo-treated and eszopiclone-treated groups did not differ at baseline (most patients in both groups had severe OSA, with a mean apnoea-hypopnoea index of 36.9 +- 23.3), but significant improvements were observed weekly in the treated patients over the observation period. Using downloadable smart card data, Dr. Shah and colleagues monitored CPAP compliance, the primary endpoint, weekly for 12 weeks. Over the observation period, CPAP was used on more days by the eszopiclone-treated group (79.8% +- 3.1%) than by the control group (63.6% +- 5.7%; P < .001). The eszopiclone-treated patients also spent more time in each CPAP therapy session than the control group (mean 4.4 +- 0.3 vs 3.4 +- 0.2 hours/night; P < .001). The researchers said that eszopiclone was selected because this nonbenzodiazepine agent promotes onset of sleep and continuity without altering sleep architecture. Funding for this study was provided by a grant from Sepracor Inc. to the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for Advancement of Military Medicine. [Presentation title: A Short Course of Eszopiclone Improves CPAP Adherence: A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. CPAP Promotion Prognosis – The Army Sleep Apnoea Program (CPAP ASAP Trial). Poster 715]
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