Oscillometry-Based Markers Reveal Airway Dynamics in Asthma–OSA Overlap
A recent study highlights the utility of oscillometry-based analysis for characterizing airflow mechanics in patients with comorbid obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and asthma. By correlating respiratory oscillometry with polysomnography (PSG) metrics, researchers identified patterns that may serve as physiologic indicators of airway instability and obstruction.
“Obstructive sleep apnea commonly coexists with asthma, yet its influence on airway mechanics remains insufficiently understood,” the authors wrote. To address this, the study used Poincaré plot analysis to evaluate breath-to-breath variability, generating short- and long-term indices (SD1 and SD2) reflective of airway consistency and narrowing.
The analysis incorporated respiratory cycle features such as peak and trough measurements, which were then assessed alongside PSG-derived data. These features, the authors noted, offer “valuable physiological markers for characterizing airway function.”
Key findings revealed that both SD1 and SD2 measures of breathing variability aligned with markers of airway obstruction and dynamic airflow limitation, suggesting their relevance for tracking functional impairment in patients with OSA–asthma overlap.
The study further indicated that “respiratory features extracted from oscillometry may contribute to future research on the interaction between airway narrowing, sleep apnea, and asthma,” opening the possibility of noninvasive tools for evaluating disease severity and guiding therapy.
The authors emphasized that these markers could support more personalized monitoring in patients with overlapping conditions. Future investigations may build on this approach to refine how clinicians evaluate airway dynamics in asthma patients with comorbid sleep-disordered breathing.
Reference
Aftab S, Assadi A, Molloy Z, Gong J, Yadollahi A. Respiratory asynchrony and airway narrowing in asthma and sleep apnea: A modeling approach. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2025;2025:1-5. doi:10.1109/EMBC58623.2025.11253658
