Abstract
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) constitutes a public health problem, with various systemic consequences that can increase cardiovascular morbidity and mortality as well as increase healthcare expenditure. This review discusses the rationale and effects of using general physical exercise, oropharyngeal exercises, and respiratory muscle training as an adjunctive treatment for patients with sleep apnoea. The recommended treatment for OSA is the use of continuous positive airway pressure, which is a therapy that prevents apnoea events by keeping the airways open. In the last decade, coadjuvant treatments that aim to support weight loss (including diet and physical exercise) and oropharyngeal exercises have been proposed to lower the apnoea/hypopnoea index among patients with OSA. Based on the available evidence, health professionals could decide to incorporate these therapeutic strategies to manage patients with sleep apnoea.
Highlights
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is generated by the intermittent collapse of the upper airway during sleep, which leads to transient asphyxia [1]
The question that guided the review process was: What are the effects of physical exercise, oropharyngeal exercises, and respiratory muscle training in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea? A bibliographic search was conducted to identify relevant studies
Clocks&Sleep 2021, 3 trols, participants randomised to the intervention group decreased in apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) (40.6 ± 19.4 vs. 28.0 ± 19.3; p < 0.001), oxygen desaturation index (ODI), and arousal index, which occurred in conjunction with a significant decrease in body mass index (BMI), neck circumference, fat mass, fasting glucose, and diastolic blood pressure [24]
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is generated by the intermittent collapse of the upper airway during sleep, which leads to transient asphyxia [1]. Untreated OSA can have several significant consequences, including hypoxemia and hypercapnia, fragmented sleep, heart rhythm fluctuations, and blood pressure increase [17]. These effects can lead to long-term sequelae, such as cardiovascular comorbidities [17], cognitive deterioration [18], and premature death [19]. Coadjuvant treatments that aim to support weight loss (including diet [23], physical exercise [24,25]), and oropharyngeal exercises [26,27] have been proposed to lower the AHI among patients with OSA. Despite the potential benefits of weight-loss interventions through exercise, patients with OSA rarely adhere to rehabilitation programmes, which commonly require scheduled hospital visits or the use of sophisticated training equipment (e.g., treadmills, cycle ergometers) that are not always available to the patient outside of the rehabilitation programme [29,30,31]
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