Research progress on the clinical subtyping of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome.

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a common sleep-disordered breathing condition that exhibits a notable degree of heterogeneity, a feature not fully considered in current diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. This article reviews and analyzes research progress in the subtyping of OSAHS from multiple perspectives, including clinical feature-based subtyping, comorbidity-based subtyping, polysomnography (PSG) parameter-based subtyping, and other classification approaches. Existing studies have identified common subtypes based on clinical features and clarified the characteristics of different subgroups in comorbidity-based classifications; the rich data provided by PSG have helped optimize the classification of OSAHS; and multi-dimensional clustering has provided a more precise basis for individualized treatment. Although these studies have deepened the understanding of the heterogeneity of OSAHS, challenges such as significant differences among subtypes and insufficient evidence for alternative therapies remain. Future research should focus on identifying biomarkers and elucidating the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms to advance the development of precision treatments.