A Randomized, Controlled Treatment Trial of Soft Palatal Implants and Positive Airway Pressure in Mild to Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Snoring

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), frequently associated with disruptive snoring, is a prevalent disorder which is increasingly recognized by health care providers and lay people alike as an important factor in impaired daytime executive function as well as cardiovascular disease risk. Along with an increase in its recognition and diagnosis have come a growing pool of patients with milder disease and the associated challenge of ideal management. Positive airway pressure (PAP) is well established as the mainstay of treatment for OSA since it is effective at reversing daytime neurocognitive sequelae and may be a useful adjunct to therapy in those with cardiovascular disease coexisting with OSA. In patients with mild OSA, however, the response to PAP therapy appears muted, which is related in part to poor adherence to treatment. In response, a number of alternative treatments have evolved. The most recent innovation is soft palatal implants, which, in non-randomized, uncontrolled studies have demonstrated reasonable efficacy in the treatment of snoring and mild to moderate OSA. How the implants compare with standard therapy and their effect on cardiovascular variables are unknown. Because of the ease and rapidity with which this system is implanted, and because treatment effect is independent of patient compliance, there is high potential for widespread use in patients with milder OSA. We therefore are conducting a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to compare the impact of palatal implants with PAP on sleep disordered breathing, daytime symptoms and blood pressure, as well as patient / bed partner acceptance.