AN ANTIDEPRESSANT drug might one day help some of the millions of people who repeatedly stop breathing as they sleep.
Sleep apnoea occurs when the muscles in the airways relax too much and block the passage of air (snoring occurs when the airways are partly blocked). Apnoea causes fatigue during the day, and has been blamed for more serious problems such as heart disease. If exercise and dieting do not help, the only options are surgery or wearing uncomfortable devices at night.
Now mirtazapine, a drug prescribed for depression, is looking promising as a treatment, according to researchers at…
