A systematic review of the pharmacological approaches against snoring: can we count on the chickens that have hatched?

Background Snoring is the sound produced by the vibration of the soft tissues caused by the air passing through a narrow upper airway during sleep. It is usually associated with the conditions that increase upper airway resistance, but can occur in their absence too (primary snoring). Considering its sheer prevalence, the associated comorbidities, like carotid atherosclerosis and the social disorder that it can represent, treatment for snoring must be considered even in the absence of any other medical condition. Treatment options include conservative approaches like weight reduction, smoking and alcohol cessation, sleep positioning, mechanical nasal dilators, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to more radical approaches like surgery. Till date, we have no drugs for treating the primary pathology of snoring. Methods A systematic literature search was carried out in PUBMED and EMBASE, and we found only nine randomized control trial's and one interventional study focusing on the pharmacotherapy of snoring per se, even as the literature is replete with studies evaluating drug therapy for obstructive sleep apnea. Result Drugs evaluated include protriptyline, pseudoephedrine and domperidone, mometasone, nasal surfactant, Botulinum toxin type A, and some homeopathic and oil-based nasal sprays. The selected studies showed no strength in data and had a great methodological heterogeneity, so it is impossible to compare the analyzed studies. Discussion Even though there are no consistent data to support pharmacologic treatment for primary snoring, through the critical analysis of these studies, we have discussed about the future directions for clinical trials in this area to arrive at a clinically meaningful decision.