[Therapy of sleep apnea with theophylline (Uniphylline) administration every evening]

Sleep apnoea (SA) has a prevalence of 1-10% in men. The physiological sleep is disturbed. SA is associated with cardiopulmonary disease (systemic arterial hypertension, cardiac arrhythmics, cor pulmonale) and the quality of the patient's life is reduced. Thirty male patients participated in a study to investigate the influence of an oral dose of theophylline on sleep apnoea. Under theophylline a significant reduction of apnoea events and of the apnoea index was seen.