Although this OSA model confirms the value of IGFBP4 as a biomarker for OSA and offers an opportunity to replicate several characteristics of OSA, it lacks several confounding variables such as obesity, ageing, and genetic predispositions that contribute to OSA variability in humans, which is a recognized limitation of our study. Here, IGFBP4 is linked to obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.