Emerging Trends in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, entitled “Emerging Trends in Obstructive Sleep Apnea”, highlights advances in disease characterization, novel therapies, and precision medicine approaches, which seek to inform future research directions and improve clinical outcomes for individuals affected by OSA.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a heterogeneous disorder with distinct pathophysiological endotypes influencing treatment response. In this Special Issue, we explore the evolving understanding of these endotypes and their implications for personalized therapy. We review the predictive value of EEG-derived biomarkers on the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Notwithstanding the recognition of diverse contributors to OSA pathogenesis, the introduction of incretin agonists has emerged as a promising avenue, potentially modifying both weight-related and neuromuscular contributors to airway collapse.

Beyond airway obstruction, OSA frequently coexists with insomnia, complicating clinical management and exacerbating daytime impairment. Addressing this dual presentation requires tailored interventions that balance cognitive behavioral strategies with pharmacologic approaches. Moreover, cardiovascular complications remain a major concern, with emerging biomarkers offering novel insights into risk stratification and mechanistic pathways linking OSA to adverse outcomes.

Given the limitations of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) adherence, pharmacotherapy is gaining attention as a potential adjunct or alternative treatment. We investigate the latest pharmacologic developments, including agents targeting ventilatory control instability, upper airway collapsibility, and neurochemical modulation.

I would like to thank the authors who contributed to this Special Issue for their in-depth analysis and valuable insights that enhance our understanding of obstructive sleep apnea and its evolving management strategies.

Prof. Dr. Ali Albert el-Solh
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Clocks & Sleep is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• sleep apnea
• pharmacotherapy
• GLP-1
• COMISA
• biomarkers