Could a 66-cent pill replace CPAP for sleep apnea?
NCT ID NCT05616260
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether acetazolamide, a cheap and well-tolerated water pill, can reduce sleep apnea severity and lower blood pressure in young adults (18–50 years old) who cannot or will not use a CPAP mask. 54 participants received either the drug or a placebo for two weeks each. The goal is to offer a simple, once-daily pill option for the millions of OSA patients who struggle with current treatments.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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54 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Dec 2022
- Finished
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May 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 50 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 to 50 years * Body mass index ≤ 35 kg/m2 * Untreated OSA (AHI ≥10/h) * Abnormal blood pressure (\>120/80mmHg, or on stable anti-hypertensive therapy for \>1month) Exclusion Criteria: * Substantial sleep hypoxemia (SpO2\<80% for \>10% of the monitoring time during the home sleep test, or for \>25% of the total sleep time during any of the in-laboratory studies) * Severe uncontrolled hypertension (\>160/110mmHg during baseline assessment; \>180/120mmHg during follow up assessments) * Abnormally low blood counts/electrolytes or renal function at baseline * Mean use of OSA therapy ≥ 1h/night during past 1 month, or plans to urgently resume/(re)start clinical OSA therapy within 2 months * Significant, uncontrolled cardiac, pulmonary, endocrine, renal, hepatic, neurocognitive, psychiatric, or urologic (e.g., kidney stones) disorder * Other major sleep disorder (e.g., narcolepsy) * Urgent need to initiate effective OSA therapy (i.e., Epworth sleepiness score \>18, commercial driver, prior sleep-related car accident, or based on MD judgment) * Severe allergy to sulfa-drugs or taking another carbonic-anhydrase inhibitor (e.g., topiramate, zonisamide) * Pregnancy/breastfeeding (current/planned) * Prisoners * Illicit substance abuse or \>2 standard drinks of alcohol/day * Medications that may affect OSA or ventilatory control (e.g., opiates, sedatives) * Thiazide/loop diuretic (risk of hypokalemia) * Inability to give consent or follow procedures * Safety concern based on MD judgment
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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UC San Diego; Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute Building
La Jolla, California, 92121, United States
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