Objective To investigate the effect of angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) on lipid metabolism in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods A total of 59 OSA patients and 20 healthy controls from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between May 2023 and February 2024 were included in the study. All participants underwent overnight polysomnography (PSG). Based on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), the OSA patients were divided into a mild group and a moderate-to-severe group. Morning blood samples were collected after an 8-hour fast to measure lipid profiles and ANGPTL3 levels. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 25.0 software. Results The levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and ANGPTL3 were significantly higher, while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was significantly lower in the OSA group compared with the control group (P<0.05). ANGPTL3 level was higher in the moderate-to-severe OSA group than that in the mild OSA group and the control group, and higher in the mild OSA group than that in the control group (P<0.05). In the severe hypoxemia group, ANGPTL3 level was significantly higher than that in the mild-to-moderate hypoxemia group (P<0.05). The ANGPTL3 level was also significantly higher in the hyperlipidemia group compared wiht the non-hyperlipidemia group (P<0.05). In the OSA group, ANGPTL3 was positively correlated with TC, TG, percentage of cumulative time with oxygen saturation below 90% in total sleep time (T90) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI), and negatively correlated with lowest arterial oxygen saturation (LSaO2) and mean arterial oxygen saturation (MSaO2). After adjusting for relevant confounding factors, logistic regression analysis indicated that ANGPTL3 might be a potential independent risk factor for OSA, with an odds ratio of 1.021 (95%CI 1.002 - 1.040). Conclusions The level of ANGPTL3 is elevated in OSA patients. The elevation of blood lipid levels in OSA patients may be associated with chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced regulation of ANGPTL3 levels.