Abstract:Objective To explore the discrepancies of lipid metabolism disorders in patients with different subtypes of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).Methods A total of 848 adult patients with OSA diagnosed by polysomnography (PSG) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2017 to December 2019 were included. The lipid levels were compared among patients in different subgroups divided by the severity of OSA, age, sex and menopausal status.Results The percentage of males, body mass index (BMI), the proportions of patients with a history of smoking and hypertension, apnea hypopnea index (AHI), and the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) increased with the severity of OSA (P < 0.05), while the lowest oxygen saturation (LSaO2) and the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) decreased with the severity of OSA (P < 0.05). Compared with the non-elderly female patients, AHI and the level of TG were higher but the level of HDL and LSaO2 were lower in the non-elderly male patients (P < 0.05). The LSaO2 was higher in the elderly male patients than that in the elderly female patients (P < 0.05). AHI and the levels of TC, TG and LDL in the elderly male patients were lower than those in the non-elderly male patients, whereas the LSaO2 and the level of HDL in the elderly male patients were higher than those in the non-elderly male patients (P < 0.05). AHI in the elderly female patients was higher than that in the non-elderly female patients (P < 0.05), and AHI in postmenopausal female patients was higher than that in premenopausal female patients (P < 0.05). Compared with those without hypertension, patients with hypertension exhibited higher AHI and lower levels of TC, HDL and LDL (P < 0.05).Conclusions The dyslipidemia is discrepant among patients with different subtypes of OSA, and is related to gender and age of OSA patients. The changes in lipid profiles are particularly remarkable in non-elderly men. Thus, comprehensive evaluation of OSA patients according to their subtypes is of great significance for the management of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications.