[Nicotine as therapy of obstructive sleep apnea?]

In 8 smokers (age 57 +/- 6 years, BMI 26.4 +/- 3.8 kg/m2) with an apnea-hypopnea index of 22.2 +/- 19.5 and who wanted to give up smoking with the help of nicotine plaster, various characteristic values of respiratory disturbances (among others, average and longest duration of various apnea and hypopnea, average and minimum oxygen saturation) were investigated during nicotine and control nights. All characteristic values, with the exception of the average oxygen saturation (from 93.7 to 94.4%, p < 0.02), did not change significant. These results indicate that nicotine could be an effective drug. However, it cannot yet be recommended for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea because of some still unanswered questions (efficacy for non-smokers, side-effects, risk of addiction).