Personalized Management Approach for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a heterogeneous disorder. If left untreated, OSA has major health, safety and economic consequences. In addition to varying levels of impairment in pharyngeal anatomy (narrow/collapsible airway), non-anatomical 'phenotypic traits' are also important contributors to OSA for most patients. However, the majority of existing therapies only target the anatomical cause (e.g. continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP], oral appliances, weight loss, positional therapy, and upper airway surgery). These are typically administered as monotherapy according to a trial and error management approach in which the majority of patients are first prescribed CPAP. Despite its high effectiveness, CPAP adherence remains unacceptably low and second-line therapies have variable and unpredictable efficacies. Recent advances in knowledge of the multiple causes of OSA using respiratory phenotyping techniques have identified new targets or 'treatable traits' to direct therapy. Identification of the traits and development of therapies that selectively target one or more of the treatable traits has the potential to personalize the management of this chronic health condition to optimize patient outcomes according to precision medicine principles. This brief review highlights the latest developments and emerging therapies for personalized management approaches for OSA.

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