New and unconventional treatments for obstructive sleep apnea

Although continuous positive airway pressure, oral appliances and surgical modifications of the airway are considered as part of the routine management of patients with obstructive sleep apnea, many new and unconventional therapies exist. Many of the trials using these new alternatives have been limited by insufficient data, poor trial design, small sample size, unclear inclusion criteria, lack of randomization, and lack of blinding, and on occasion are biased by retrospective design. Bariatric surgery, positional therapy, auto-titrating positive airway pressure, serotonin agents, wake promoting agents, genioglossus stimulation surgery, supplemental oxygen, nasal dilators, nasal expiratory resistor devices and oropharyngeal exercises will be reviewed. As obstructive sleep apnea impacts the individual and society at large, further research is needed to explore new therapeutic treatment options for obstructive sleep apnea. Therapeutic trials for obstructive sleep apnea must be of rigorous design to prove clinical effectiveness while taking into account both patient satisfaction and cost effectiveness.