Rehabilitation Program as an Alternative Therapy for Moderate to Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

The obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common disease (2-4% of the general population) that generates intermittent hypoxemia and sleep fragmentation. OSAS is associated with various metabolic disorders such as metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes. OSAS is a risk factor for cardio-vascular diseases by increasing morbidity/mortality. OSAS patients suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), a symptom also responsible for at least 30% of traffic accidents but also other cognitive disorders with significant impact on quality of life. OSAS generates oxidative stress, inflammation and resistance to insulin and other systemic metabolic dysregulation of many whose levels are correlated with the severity of the disease. Treatment with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) has clearly demonstrated its effectiveness to eliminate apneas and improve EDS but it is sometimes difficult to accept and/or poorly tolerated, limiting its effectiveness. Weight loss and regular physical activity are clearly recommended but rarely done in clinical practice. A few studies have applied to study the effects of rehabilitation training (REE) on the sleep apnea patients and have shown an improvement in sleep quality, reduction of awakenings and arousals from sleep and the Index of Apnea/Hypopnea (AHI), but their methodology was questionable, and the number of patients included was too low. The investigators hypothesis is that an in-patient multidisciplinary rehabilitation program comprising educational activities, dietary management and individualized exercise training (IET) will decrease OSAS severity, improve sleep quality and symptoms (EDS, fatigue, QoL). This IET program (24 sessions during 4 weeks) could also help to improve many metabolic dysregulation, inflammation and oxidative stress (also markers of cardiovascular risk). Leptin, a hormone involved in regulating appetite, energy expenditure and ventilatory control is increased in OSA (mechanism of leptin resistance). The improved sensitivity to leptin may play a role in enabling a better control of ventilation in these patients.