Suffer from Sleep Apnea? Good News for You

An electric pacemaker that prevents sleep apnea has been approved for marketing by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is significant news for those suffering from sleep apnea syndrome, including tens of thousands of Israelis.

The new pacemaker is called Remede. It is implanted near the diaphragm and stimulates the phrenic nerve, which regulates the diaphragm's activity, the muscle located beneath the lungs responsible for inflating them. The device includes an electrode with a sensor placed inside a blood vessel close to the phrenic nerve. The implant detects pauses in breathing and immediately sends an electrical stimulus causing the diaphragm to reactivate and inflate the lungs.

The new device adjusts the stimulus to compensate for weak or uncoordinated breaths or complete breathing pauses.

The FDA reviewed data from the use of the device by 141 patients. After six months of use, the results showed that the rate of sleep apnea events decreased by 50% in about half of the patients in whom the device was implanted.

The most common side effects reported included infection at the pacemaker implantation site and swelling. Additionally, the device is not suitable for patients who are known to need MRI scans in advance, as it contains metal particles and metal is prohibited in the MRI area.

Sleep apnea syndrome is characterized by recurrent breathing pauses during sleep, and in some cases, it also causes loud snoring. Sleep apnea is very dangerous. Moreover, the sufferer's sleep quality deteriorates as they fail to enter deep sleep stages. This leads to irritability and daytime fatigue. Studies have shown that sleep apnea increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes.