[Advances in rehabilitation therapy for obstructive sleep apnea]

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a systemic disease with multi-organ impairment. Rehabilitation therapy is an important component of the comprehensive treatment strategy for OSA. Exercise training can reduce the severity of sleep apnea and daytime sleepiness in OSA patients, while improving sleep efficiency and cardiopulmonary function. Upper airway muscle training can enhance muscle tone during sleep and increase airway anti-collapse capacity, although its long-term efficacy requires further confirmation through high-quality studies. Respiratory muscle training may reduce upper airway collapsibility by pulling the upper airway via the coupling mechanism of upper and lower airway biomechanics. Weight management can alleviate anatomical narrowing of upper airway soft tissues and systemic inflammation, thereby lowering the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help improve treatment adherence in OSA. For OSA patients with concomitant cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, individualized exercise prescriptions, which are based on risk stratification and precise cardiopulmonary function assessment, are fundamental to ensuring the safety and effectiveness of exercise training. Future clinical practice and research should focus on phenotype classification, integration of intelligent technologies, and mechanistic exploration, with the aim of establishing precise, personalized rehabilitation strategies for OSA patients.