Abstract:

Obstructive sleep apnea （OSA） is a common chronic sleep-related breathing disorder， characterized primarily by intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation resulting from the recurrent collapse of the upper airway during sleep. Studies indicated that disturbances of the gut microbiota represent a crucial intermediary mechanism in the multi-system pathological damage and development of comorbidities induced by OSA. Changes in the gut microbiota under OSA conditions， including abnormalities in α/β diversity， enrichment of anaerobic bacteria， reduction in short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria， as well as alterations in metabolic profiles such as bile acids， amino acids， and fatty acids， were systematically elucidated. Furthermore， the key driving role of gut microbiota and their metabolites in OSA-related comorbidities， such as hypertension and atherosclerosis， was extensively investigated. Concurrently， research progress on intervention strategies targeting the gut microbiome was comprehensively integrated. These findings provide new perspectives and a foundation for mechanistic research and clinical management of OSA.

Key words: obstructive sleep apnea, gut microbiota, metabolites, hypertension, atherosclerosis