Trial reportSleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung2025
Effects of steam-assisted respiratory muscle training on sleep apnoea symptoms and pulmonary function in men and women: a pilot study.
Trial report in Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05320952 (Effect of Upper Respiratory Muscle Strength Exercise on Sleep Apnea Using WellO2 Respiratory Exercise Device), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effect of Upper Respiratory Muscle Strength Exercise on Sleep Apnea Using WellO2 Respiratory Exercise Device
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Advances in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Women.Pulmonary therapy · 2026Review
- Steam-assisted respiratory muscle training may improve sleep quality in mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea: a pilot polysomnography study.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeObstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) negatively impacts quality of life and increases cardiovascular and metabolic risks. Although continuous positive airway pressure is the gold-standard treatment, limited adherence reduces its clinical effectiveness. This study investigates whether steam-assisted respiratory muscle training (RMT) can alleviate symptoms, improve pulmonary function, and explore potential differences in response between men and women with OSA.
methodsThis open-label, 12-week prospective pilot study included 60 participants with mild to moderate OSA, who performed individualized inspiratory and expiratory counter-pressure breathing exercises with steam inhalation. Pulmonary function tests, sleep-related questionnaires, and general health assessments were conducted at baseline and post-intervention. Participants showing notable improvements from baseline were classified as high responders, enabling subgroup analyses.
resultsFinal results of 33 of the 60 participants showed significant mean improvements, with the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) decreasing by 1.8 points, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) by 2 points, and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) by 7.9 points (all p < 0.01). Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) increased from from 3.6 L to 3.8 L (p = 0.04). Subgroup analysis revealed an enhancement in sleep-related symptoms and pulmonary function.
conclusionsRMT may serve as a patient-centered alternative for managing the symptomatic burden of mild to moderate OSA. While larger trials are needed to confirm these preliminary findings, these pilot results do not yet demonstrate sustained benefit and should be interpreted with caution. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, register no. NCT05320952.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.