Does inspiratory muscle training (IMT) improve blood pressure and sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?
Inspiratory Muscle Strength Trainer, a meta-analysis in 160 patients (Sleep Breath 2022, PMID 36576599) — no significant differences were found in the apnea-hypopnea index, forced vital capacity, ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity, or adverse effects. The level of certainty for the findings remains low, and additional studies with larger sample sizes and more rigorous designs are needed to increase this certainty.
Source: Sleep Breath 2022, PMID 36576599 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: low
Sleep Breath · 2022 · PMID 36576599 · DOI 10.1007/s11325-022-02773-1
Inspiratory muscle training may help lower blood pressure and improve sleep in people with obstructive sleep apnea, but more research is needed.
The question
Does inspiratory muscle training (IMT) improve blood pressure and sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?
What they tested
Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) may reduce airway collapsibility and sympathetic output, potentially decreasing OSA severity and blood pressure.
How they did it
This meta-analysis included seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 160 patients with OSA. The researchers searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov for relevant RCTs published before November 2022.
What they found
Compared to control groups, the IMT group showed significantly lower systolic blood pressure (mean difference [MD]: -10.77 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (MD: -4.58 mmHg), plasma catecholamine levels (MD: -128.64 pg/mL), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (MD: -3.06), and Epworth Sleepiness Scale score (MD: -4.37). No significant differences were found in the apnea-hypopnea index, forced vital capacity, ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity, or adverse effects.
| Systolic BP (mmHg) | -10.77 | |
|---|---|---|
| Diastolic BP (mmHg) | -4.58 | |
| Plasma Catecholamines (pg/mL) | -128.64 | |
| Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index | -3.06 | |
| Epworth Sleepiness Scale | -4.37 |
Inspiratory muscle training significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure, plasma catecholamine levels, and improved sleep quality and daytime sleepiness compared to control groups.
What it means
Inspiratory muscle training improved blood pressure and sleep-related outcomes in patients with OSA without causing adverse effects, suggesting it could be a reasonable option for lowering blood pressure in this population.
Limitations
The level of certainty for the findings remains low, and additional studies with larger sample sizes and more rigorous designs are needed to increase this certainty.
The paper at a glance
| Title | Effects of inspiratory muscle training on blood pressure and sleep in obstructive sleep apnea: a meta-analysis |
|---|---|
| Journal | Sleep Breath |
| Year | 2022 |
| PMID | 36576599 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.1007/s11325-022-02773-1 ↗ |
| Topic | Cardiovascular & vascular aging |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
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Inspiratory Muscle Strength Trainer
In randomized trials, most prominently sham-controlled work from the University of Colorado in midlife and older adults, about six weeks of high-resistance IMST performed a few minutes a day lowered systolic blood pressure by roughly 9 mmHg and improved vascular endothelial function, with much of the effect…
An inspiratory muscle strength trainer is a small handheld device that imposes a high resistance on…
Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.
Molecules & mechanisms in this paper
Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). Does inspiratory muscle training (IMT) improve blood pressure and sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)? [Plain-English summary of Sleep Breath 2022, PMID 36576599, DOI 10.1007/s11325-022-02773-1]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d36576599.html@misc{magellan_d36576599,
title = {Does inspiratory muscle training (IMT) improve blood pressure and sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d36576599.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 36576599; DOI 10.1007/s11325-022-02773-1; Sleep Breath 2022. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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