Intermittent hypoxia index: a new indicator for assessing the degree of intermittent hypoxia in obstructive sleep apnea
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective In order to objectively and accurately evaluate the degree of nocturnal intermittent hypoxia (IH) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), we developed the Newton quadrature low oxygen load assessment system (NLAS) to seek a new, quantifiable, comprehensive evaluation index of intermittent hypoxia (intermittent hypoxia index, IHI). Methods Demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, and polysomnography (PSG) parameters [oxygen desaturation index (ODI), lowest oxygen saturation (LSpO2), time below 90% saturation (T90)] of 732 patients with OSA who underwent multi-channel sleep monitoring at the Sleep Center of Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, from 2019 to 2023 were retrospectively collected. The IHI was calculated using the NLAS (Certificate of Registration Number for Computer Software Copyright of the People’s Republic of China: 12208933), and its threshold was defined. Additionally, correlation analysis was performed between IHI and T90, LSpO2, and ODI. Results Among the 732 patients with OSA, IHI showed significant correlations with T90 (r = 0.922) and LSpO2 (r = 0.866), and moderate correlation with ODI (r = 0.675). The threshold for diagnosing hypoxia in OSA patients using IHI was 7.178 (%s/min). Conclusion This study demonstrates that IHI calculated using NLAS covers various dimensions of IH indices in OSA patients undergoing multi-channel sleep monitoring. It correlates with parameters such as T90, LSpO2, and ODI. Independent of existing IH assessment indices, IHI holds promise as a new comprehensive assessment index for evaluating the degree of nocturnal IH in OSA.
Source: Frontiers in Medicine
Authors: Kui Xie, Xiaoqing Tang, Jiacheng Zhou, Xiang Liu, Yunyun Zhang, Xiaochuan Cui
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W4409959481