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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.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, fatal lung disease with a median survival rate of 2-4 years after diagnosis, occurring primarily in older adults. The diagnosis is suggested by histology or radiologic evidence of a usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern and exclusion of known cases of pulmonary fibrosis. There are some comorbidities associated with IPF such as pulmonary hypertension, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, lung cancer, cardiovascular disorders, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), sleep disorders and psychiatric disturbances. The management of IPF focuses on the amelioration of symptoms, preserving lung function, improving health status, minimizing the adverse effects of therapy and improving survival. Pulmonary rehabilitation is suggested for IPF patients when adequate medical therapy controls poorly the disease progression and mental, physical or social consequences of the illness persist during daily life. Currently, there are only two approved available antifibrotic therapies, pirfenidone and nintedanib, capable to reduce disease progression and physical deterioration, but cure is elusive and improvements are hardly observed. In addition, there is a continuous need of non-drug therapy components which should be included in IPF patient management: education, psychosocial support, exercise training, nutrition, symptom management and palliative care, non-invasive ventilation and pulmonary transplant. These complementary therapies have been proven to improve dyspnea, exercise capacity, fatigue and quality of life. Key words: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, rehabilitation, quality of life, palliative care