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There is as yet no convincing evidence that acetazolamide, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, is effective in obstructive sleep apnoea. A study was therefore designed to examine the effect of acetazolamide (250 mg/day) on sleep events and ventilatory control during wakefulness in nine patients with the sleep apnoea syndrome. In eight of the nine patients the apnoea index and the total duration ofapnoea were reduced by acetazolamide, and the mean (SEM) apnoea index of all patients changed from 25-0 (6 7) to 18 1 (5 8) episodes an hour. Furthermore, the total time of arterial oxygen desaturation (Sao2-more than 4% depression in Sao2 from the baseline sleeping level-divided by total sleep time was also significantly decreased and its mean (SEM) value improved from 24-1 (7 9) to 13-6 (4-8)% of total sleep time. Five

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