Scientists at the University of Auckland have found in animal studies that a new drug, AF-130, can improve both heart failure and its associated sleep apnea. The research was published in the journal Nature Communication.
Scientists have found in experiments on rats that the drug AF-130 improves the heart’s ability to contract, reduces the incidence of apnea, and can potentially reverse some signs of heart failure.
Apnea is the collapse of the walls of the airways during sleep, which causes a decrease or cessation of breathing. This condition increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and has no medical treatment. There are CPAP devices that are effective in preventing sleep apnea but do not reduce cardiovascular risk. Sleep apnea, in particular, increases the risk of heart failure, and most patients die within five years of being diagnosed with heart failure.
The drug will soon be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in another condition. After clinical trials in humans, it can be reused for accelerated use in sleep apnea and heart failure.