To examine the association of the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index with hypoxemia-related sleep parameters in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients and explore the influence of monitoring modality and AHI-defined OSA severity.
Approach:
Study Design: A single-center retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted with 143 symptomatic adult inpatients who underwent diagnostic sleep monitoring.
Data Collection: Patients were screened from 2021 to 2025, and laboratory measurements were obtained within 3 days of sleep monitoring.
Statistical Analysis: Associations between TyG index and oxygenation parameters were analyzed, adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and monitoring modality.
Key Findings:
TyG was higher in patients with lowest SpO2 <80% compared to those with lowest SpO2 ≥80% (P<0.001).
TyG was also higher in patients with AHI ≥30 events/h than in those with AHI <30 events/h (P<0.001).
TyG positively correlated with AHI and CT90, and negatively with mean and lowest SpO2.
The area under the curve (AUC) for lowest SpO2 <80% was 0.760 and for AHI ≥30 events/h was 0.715.
TyG remained associated with lowest SpO2 <80% and AHI ≥30 events/h after adjustments, but the association with lowest SpO2 <80% was attenuated after further adjustment for AHI.
Interpretation:
Higher TyG was associated with worse nocturnal oxygenation-related parameters and greater AHI-defined OSA severity, suggesting a potential role for TyG in risk stratification.
Limitations:
The study is retrospective and conducted at a single center, which may limit generalizability.
The association findings may partly reflect overall OSA severity.
Conclusion:
TyG may provide a simple metabolic clue for risk stratification in OSA, but it cannot replace formal sleep monitoring.
