Is Exercise a Realistic Alternative to CPAP Therapy for Sleep Apnea?
CPAP therapyis widelyconsidered to be the best treatment option forsleep apnea。However, CPAP therapy can be difficult to tolerate. Others find it a hassle and choose to avoid it. Could exercise be an alternative treatment option?
Managing obstructive sleep apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea(OSA) can be difficult to manage if an individual doesn't comply with standard facial mask treatment options. Keep in mind that CPAP therapy doesn't actually treat any of the underlying causes of OSA.
A study published inRespiratory Medicine出发以确定运动是否可以改善OSA的症状。
The study
Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on previous studies that evaluated the effect of exercise on Epworth Sleepiness Scale and apnea hypopnea index (AHI) scores.
睡眠呼吸暂停严重程度是通过睡眠呼吸暂停或缺氧事件的数量来衡量的。这由呼吸暂停缺氧索引表示：
每小时不到五个：无/最小OSA
Five or more but less than 15 per hour: Mild OSA
15 or more but less than 30 per hour: Moderate OSA
每小时30或以上：严重OSA
The Epworth Sleepiness Scale measures daytime sleepiness through the scoring of eight questions related to a daytime situation in which an individual may fall asleep. Scores range from:
Zero to five: Lower normal daytime sleepiness
Six to 10: Higher normal daytime sleepiness
11 – 12: Mild excessive daytime sleepiness
13 - 15：中度过度的白天嗜睡
16 – 24: Severe excessive daytime sleepiness
Researchers found that exercise was associated with a reduction in AHI scores and a reduction in ESS scores after treatment.
The best form of exercise for sleep apnea
It would appear that the actual type of exercise isn’t especially important.
在检查来自八个研究涉及的数据180 participants, researchers found that the reduced AHI and ESS scores remained consistent regardless of the form of exercise, duration of exercise, or frequency of exercise sessions. Simply exercising is what’s important.
Why exercise can improve sleep apnea symptoms
Exercise has already been found to improve insomnia symptoms。为什么它也似乎改善了睡眠呼吸暂停症状？
Obstructive sleep apnea is more common inobese individuals。肥胖与增加的脂肪组织增加，这可以折叠气道，导致呼吸暂停或次胃癌事件。
Previous studieshave suggested that a reduction in BMI can lead to a reduction in adipose tissue, which may explain the reduction in AHI and ESS scores.
Interestingly though, the study inRespiratory Medicinefound that exercise improved OSA symptoms regardless of any reduction in BMI. It would appear that simply getting regular exercise is the key to reducing OSA symptoms. You don't need to do strenuous or challenging exercising.
Conclusions
This study suggests that exercise may be an appropriate primary treatment and management option for obstructive sleep apnea, and that low-calorie diets and surgical interventions may not be required.
If you find life with a CPAP machine difficult, you may wish to speak with your doctor about putting together an exercise regimen that could help relieve your symptoms.
In the meantime, continue to follow your doctor's advice — particularly if you have been prescribed CPAP therapy.
