Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Sleep Study looking for hundreds of New Zealand volunteers
International Sleep Study looking for hundreds of New
Zealand volunteers
An international sleep research study that requires at least 350 New Zealand volunteers, some at Waikato Hospital, may lead to a new medical approach for the treatment of sleep apnea.
The study, known as Sleep Apnoea Cardiovascular Endpoints Study (SAVE), is attempting to discover if the use of continuous positive airway pressure can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke or heart failure in patients with sleep apnoea.
Michael Hlavac, New Zealand SAVE Coordinator said, “Continuous Positive Airway Pressure is a common treatment for sleep apnoea but we don’t know if it can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke or heart failure which is associated with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
“Some research has shown that there may be a relationship between untreated sleep apnoea and heart disease, stroke and impaired glucose metabolism (pre-diabetes).”
There are five sites in New Zealand looking for volunteers:
North Island: Waikato
Hospital, Tauranga Hospital and Hutt Hospital.
South
Island: Otago Respiratory Research Unit and Canterbury
Respiratory Research Group.
5000 people
from China, Australia, Brazil and India will be involved in
study.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure is commonly
used to treat sleep apnoea. It requires people to wear a
mask while they sleep which covers their nose or nose/mouth
and gently pushes air into their
airways.
The study is looking for
people aged between 45 to 75 years who have had coronary
artery disease (heart attack, angina, past coronary artery
bypass grafting or coronary artery stenting or a stroke or
mini-stroke.
Those that meet the criteria and are found to have sleep apnoea will receive four years of free health checks to evaluate their health and the impact of the sleep apnoea treatment.
OSA is a disorder in which the soft tissues at the back of the throat relax during sleep causing the airway to narrow. This results in snoring and reduced or even complete stoppage of air flow into the lungs and lowers blood oxygen levels. When the brain detects lower oxygen levels, a small "fight or flight" reflex is triggered, causing a brief arousal from sleep. This can occur hundreds of times a night preventing deep sleep.
For more information about study and to register an interest people can visit www.savetrial.org and go to ‘site locations’ to get contact details for each site involved in the SAVE study.
Waikato District Health Board
Healthy People. Excellent Care
Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.
Whakarongorau Aotearoa: International Nurses Day - Healthline Nurses Help 800 New Zealanders A Day
NZ Psychological Society: Remembering The Past Guides Our Future 
New Zealand Olympic Committee: Motherhood In Focus For Wāhine Toa Graduates Ahead Of Mother's Day
Early Childhood New Zealand: Budget 2026 Must Protect The Future Of Quality Early Childhood Education
Creative New Zealand: Aotearoa Manu Take World Art Stage As 61st Venice Biennale Opens
Country Music Honours: 2026 Country Music Honours Finalists Announced