06/22/2026
Is AHI telling the full story in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?
AHI measures event frequency—but misses the depth and duration of oxygen desaturation. Emerging research suggests hypoxic burden (HB) may better reflect OSA’s true physiological impact.
As highlighted by Tony Passaro at :
- REM sleep loss is more closely tied to desaturation severity than event count
- Similar AHI ≠ similar physiological burden
- Stage-specific HB reveals distinct vulnerabilities across sleep stages
👉 OSA evaluation needs a physiology-driven approach—not just event counts.
View the full poster here: https://hubs.la/Q04m3qYz0
Presented at SLEEP 2026 Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is traditionally quantified using the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), a frequency-based metric that...