SynthesisChest2020
Acetazolamide for OSA and Central Sleep Apnea: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Chest, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 61 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
61 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 111 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pharmacological treatment for central sleep apnoea in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Effects of acetazolamide on control of breathing in sleep apnea patients: Mechanistic insights using meta-analyses and physiological model simulations.Physiological reports · 2021Pooled it
- The role of acetazolamide in sleep apnea at sea level: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2021Pooled it
- Acetazolamide to prevent ventilatory drive withdrawal in REM sleep apnoea: a randomised controlled trial.Thorax · 2026Trial
- The effect of M-current activation on controller gain and obstructive sleep apnoea severity: a randomised controlled trial using flupirtine.The Journal of physiology · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Combination Drug Therapy with Acetazolamide, Eszopiclone ± Venlafaxine for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (RESCUE-Combo): A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial.Annals of the American Thoracic Society · 2025Trial
- Precision Pharmacotherapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Matching Targeted Drugs to Patient Endophenotypes.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- The importance of classifying central hypopneas: a call to action.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2026Review
- Pharmacotherapy in obstructive sleep apnoea: a clinical guide.Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 2026Review
- Endophenotypes of OSA that are responsive to pharmacological agents: a narrative review of trazodone and atomoxetine.Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 2026Review
- Sleep and Headache Disorders: What a Clinician Needs to Know.Current neurology and neuroscience reports · 2026Review
- Redefining Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Treatment in the Modern Era.Pathophysiology : the official journal of the International Society for Pathophysiology · 2026Review
- Research priorities to improve classification of sleep-wake disorders.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2026Review
- Review
- Article
- Non-positive Airway Pressure Therapies for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea and Central Sleep Apnoea.Cardiac failure review · 2026Review
- Acetazolamide-Assisted Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation in a Child With Mixed Sleep Apnea: A Case Report.Cureus · 2025Article
- Drug therapy for obstructive sleep apnoea: promises and challenges.Lancet (London, England) · 2025Article
- Treatment-emergent central sleep apnea after initiation of hypoglossal nerve stimulator.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2025Article
1 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors at 6 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundTherapy options for OSA and central sleep apnea (CSA) are limited, thus many patients remain untreated. Clinically, acetazolamide is sometimes used for CSA; however, given overlapping pathophysiologic properties of OSA and CSA, we hypothesized that acetazolamide is equally effective for both types. Prior reviews focused on specific subtypes of sleep apnea, study designs, and languages, thus including few studies (typically ≤3) limiting insights. RESEARCH QUESTION: How efficacious is acetazolamide for sleep apnea, and is its effect modified by sleep apnea type or acetazolamide dose? STUDY DESIGN AND
methodsWe queried MEDLINE, EMBASE, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception until March 11, 2019. Any study in which adults with OSA/CSA received oral acetazolamide vs no acetazolamide (control) that reported sleep apnea-related outcomes was eligible, independent of study design or language. Two reviewers independently assessed eligibility and abstracted data. Primary outcomes were apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and oxygen saturation nadir. Quality of evidence (QoE) was rated with the use of Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation methods.
resultsWe included 28 studies (13 OSA/15 CSA; N
interpretationShort-term acetazolamide improved both OSA and CSA. Rigorous studies with long-term follow up are warranted to assess Acetazolamide's value for the chronic treatment of patients with sleep apnea. CLINICAL
trial registrationPROSPERO (CRD42019147504).
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.