Adherence to CPAP Therapy - a necessity in the Pulmonary Rehabilitation of patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has become a major worldwide health concern and affects 2-4% of males and 1-2% females. In subjects diagnosed with mild or severe OSA, CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is highly efficacious in improving the specific quality of life and the cardiovascular outcome but adherence to treatment limits its overall effectiveness. Factors that influence the adherence to CPAP therapy include patients' individual characteristics, disease severity, titration procedures, the presents of side effects and the psychosocial factors. The management of this pathology is multidimensional and is based on some interventions such as lifestyle modifications, physical training, oral appliance and educational, pharmacological, technological strategies. These measures are implemented to limit the adverse effects of CPAP therapy in order to maximize the CPAP usage and to obtain a decrease of symptomatology and an optimum quality of life in OSA patients.