Muscle Strength Exercise and Sleep Apnea

May 27, 2025 updated by: Turku University Hospital

Effect of Upper Respiratory Muscle Strength Exercise on Sleep Apnea Using WellO2 Respiratory Exercise Device

Background:

Obstructive sleep apnea is one of our common diseases and up to 80% of patients are estimated to be undiagnosed. Its main risk factors are overweight, age, male gender, menopause, small jaw, sedative medications / drugs and alcohol. The most important treatment for sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). However, not all patients adapt or benefit from device therapy, and up to about 60% stop using the device. Underlying sleep apnea are mechanisms other than anatomical factors such as respiratory wake sensitivity, loop gain control function, and upper respiratory tract muscle activation response and efficiency. Depending on which of these mechanisms dominates as the cause of sleep apnea, the patient's phenotype may vary and CPAP device therapy may not be the correct form of treatment for all patients. Therefore, new targeted therapies should be developed.

The WellO2 breathing training device performs back-pressure steam breathing training during the inhalation and exhalation phases. WellO2 effectively exercises the power of the inspiratory muscles, increases the inspiratory muscles, reduces the feeling of dyspnea due to exertion, increases the economy of respiration and delays inhalation muscles. It is a drug-free treatment and easy to use. The use of the WellO2 ventilator has not been previously studied in sleep apnea patients.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Research objectives:

  1. Will AHI change after 3 months of use of WellO2 (PSG in the beginning and after 3 months)
  2. Will the participants get help with fatigue symptoms or quality of life (questionnaires)
  3. Is there a response to WellO2 treatment in AHI and symptoms of sleep apnea still after 3 months of WellO2 treatment washout (PSG 3 months after treatment discontinuation)
  4. Are the participants able to use the device (questionnaires)

Research design:

A clinical follow-up study in lung clinic sleep apnea patients who are not receiving any other form of sleep apnea treatment. The estimate for the recruitment phase is 6-12 months. The duration of the study is 6 months, of which the active phase with the WellO2 breathing apparatus is 3 months and the washout phase is 3 months after the end of treatment.

Material:

The study enrolled working sleep apnea patients aged 18 to 60 years (n = 50; M: N = 1: 1) with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (AHI 10-29 / h). Exclusion criteria: Previous surgical treatment for sleep apnea, current CPAP or mandibular device therapy, significant history of nasal, oral and pharyngeal disorders, BMI> 40 kg / m2, other severe pulmonary diseases (eg COPD, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis) severe heart failure (NYHA 3-4), previous brain event, neuromuscular disease or pregnancy, and disability to work.

Methods:

Participants enrolled in the study will be selected from referrals coming to Turku University Hospital for pulmonary department due to sleep apnea. Participants are interviewed in a structured way and demographic and anthropometric data (gender, age, BMI, neck and waist circumference, smoking), sleep apnea symptoms, possible previous treatment attempts, and other known diseases and medications are collected from the interview and from the hospital's patient paper archive. Sleep apnea is examined by sleep polypomyography (polysomnography, PSG) at the beginning of the study, 3 months after WellO2 treatment, and 3 months after the end of treatment. Participants complete the following questionnaires: Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Depression Survey (DEPS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Sleep Apnea Symptom Survey, Satisfaction Survey. Measurements of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expirium pressure (MEP) are used to assess muscle strength, and FEV1, FVC, FEV1 / FVC, and PEF are measured with a miniature spirometer to see the size of the large bronchi and possible bronchial obstruction.

The participant is instructed in the use of the WellO2 orally and in writing. The WellO2 device is used twice a day for 15 minutes at a time at a power corresponding to 30% of the participant's MEP / MIP value. The WellO2 comes with an accessory that records the times and times you have done, as well as the power with the help of a pressure sensor and a mobile assistant. The WellO2 device will continue to be used for a total of 3 months, followed by a second three-month follow-up period without the WellO2 device.

The primary endpoint is resolution of sleep apnea symptoms and PSG findings after 3 months of treatment. The secondary endpoint is whether the effect after 3 months of treatment is maintained after the next 3-month's washout phase.

Significance of the research:

The physiological causes of sleep apnea have been clarified thanks to research in recent years. Hyperbaric ventilator therapy is not suitable for everyone and new therapies are needed for these patients. So far, there is no cure for sleep apnea. The WellO2 breathing training device would be affordable and easy to use for properly targeted sleep apnea patients of all ages.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

60

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Finland
      • Turku, Finland, 20520
        • Turku University Hospital, Division of Medicine, Dept of Pulmonary diseases and University of Turku, Sleep Research Centre

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 60 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18-60 years
  • Male:Famel 1:1
  • AHI 10-29 / h
  • working patients

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previous surgical treatment for sleep apnea, current CPAP or mandibular device therapy
  • significant history of nasal, oral and pharyngeal disorders
  • BMI> 40 kg / m2
  • other severe pulmonary diseases (eg COPD, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis) severe heart failure (NYHA 3-4), previous brain insult, neuromuscular disease or pregnancy, and work disability.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: working sleep apnea patients
50 sleep apnea patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea using WellO2 device for three months
Device: WellO2
The WellO2 breathing training device performs back-pressure steam breathing training during the inhalation and exhalation phases.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Apnea-hypopnea index, AHI
Time Frame: 3 months
Change in AHI measured from polysomnogaphy in the beginning and after 3 month's of WellO2 treatment?
3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sleep apnea symptoms
Time Frame: 3 months
Is there a change in the sleep apnea symptoms (ex. fatigue symptoms or quality of life) after the WellO2 treatment?
3 months
Longterm benefits in AHI and symptoms of sleep apnea
Time Frame: 6 months
Is there a change in AHI or sleep apnea symptoms due to the WellO2 treatment after 3 months of treatment washout?
6 months
WellO2 device usability
Time Frame: 3 months
Are the participants able to use the WellO2 device during the 3 month's intervention?
3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Turku University Hospital

Collaborators

University of Turku
WellO2 Oy

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Ulla Anttalainen, MD, PhD, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

May 23, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

August 31, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

August 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 24, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 1, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

April 11, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 31, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 27, 2025

Last Verified

May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • TO5/004/22

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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