Treatment of Patients With the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome at Altitude

Status

Completed

Phases

Phase 4

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00714740

Enrollment

Registered

2008-07-14

Start date

2008-06-30

Completion date

2008-12-31

Last updated

2014-05-20

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Keywords

apnea, sleep, altitude, hypoxia

Brief summary

The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of acetazolamide as a treatment for sleep related breathing disturbances in patients with the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome living at low altitude during a sojourn at moderate altitude

Interventions

DRUGacetazolamide

acetazolamide 2 times 250mg per day

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

CROSSOVER

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

20 Years to 70 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, successfully on CPAP therapy * Residence at low altitude (\<800m) * Obstructive apnea/hypopnea index \>20/h and a complaint of excessive daytime sleepiness before introduction of CPAP therapy. * \>15 oxygen desaturations/h (\>3% dips) during an ambulatory nocturnal pulse oximetry performed at the end of a 4-night period without CPAP

Exclusion criteria

* Sleep disorders other than OSA. * More than mild cardiovascular disease, unstable or recently diagnosed (within the last 6 months) cardiovascular disease such as arterial hypertension, coronary artery or cerebrovascular disease. * Any lung disease, pulmonary hypertension. * Chronic rhinitis. * Treatment with drugs that affect respiratory center drive (benzodiazepines or other sedatives or sleep inducing drugs, morphine or codeine derivates), stimulants (modafinil, methylphenidate, theophylline) * Internal, neurologic or psychiatric disease that interfere with sleep quality. * Previous intolerance to moderate or low altitude (\<2600m). * Exposure to altitudes \>1500m for \>1 day within the last 4 weeks before the study

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
sleep disordered breathing, sleep structure, vigilance, subjective sleep quality acute mountain sickness	during treatment while at altitude

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
blood pressure endothelial function	during treatment while at altitude

Countries

Switzerland

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 28, 2026