CPAP therapy increases physical activity, study says
By HME News Staff
Updated 8:44 AM CST, Thu February 18, 2021
DARIEN, Ill. – A new study has found that CPAP therapy leads to increased physical activity in adults with sleep apnea and heart disease. “We were pleased to find that our CPAP users reported that they were better able to maintain their levels of activity over the four years of the study, and that they reported fewer limitations in moderate and vigorous activities, including those that are important for independent aging, like walking up the stairs,” said study co-author Kelly Loffler, who has a doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology and is a research fellow at the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia. In the study, published in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, participants were assigned to one of two groups: one treated with CPAP and usual cardiovascular care, and a second received usual care. While there was no specific exercise intervention, participants reported physical activity using the Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire at the start of the study and over six, 24 and 48 months. During a mean follow-up period of 3.7 years, the group treated with CPAP therapy reported approximately 20% higher levels of moderate physical activity compared to the control group. The study also found the CPAP group was more likely to report activity levels consistent with expert recommendations.
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