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DMC Seeks Sleep Apnea Patients For Trial

DETROIT (WWJ) - Are you someone who's been diagnosed with sleep apnea and conventional therapies just aren't working?

WWJ Newsradio 950's Pat Sweeting spoke with Dr. M. Safwan Badr, Chief of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the DMC's Harper Hospital, which is enrolling patients in the national Stimulation Therapy for Apnea Reduction (or STAR) Trial.

Researchers are using Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation therapy as a newer approach to control sleep apnea, which is a condition in which someone frequently stops breathing while sleeping.

"It's a surgical implant of a simulator," explained Dr. Badr, who said whether or not the device will stay in place will be determined when the trial is complete.

The implantable device is believed to work more naturally with the body to keep the airway open during sleep. Sleep apnea increases risk for high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and accidents due to daytime drowsiness.

The STAR trial will enroll Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) intolerant patients.  To be eligible for screening and inclusion in the STAR trial, patients must:

·        Have failed or not tolerated CPAP
·        Have moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea
·        Have a body mass index of less than 32

The Detroit Medical Center will be conducting a community health talk in September where interested patients can get more information and talk to the physicians involved in the clinical trial. Patients can also receive more information about enrolling in the STAR trial by calling 1 (888) 708-5045 or at www.theSTARtrial.com.

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