A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Sex differences in obstructive sleep apnoea




AuthorsMaria R. Bonsignore, Tarja Saaresranta, Renata L. Riha

PublisherEuropean Respiratory Society

Publication year2019

JournalEuropean Respiratory Review

Journal name in sourceEuropean respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society

Journal acronymEur Respir Rev

Volume28

Issue154

Number of pages11

ISSN0905-9180

eISSN1600-0617

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1183/16000617.0030-2019(external)

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/44460904(external)


Abstract
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) have long been considered predominantly male-related conditions. The clinical presentation of sleep disordered breathing in females differs from males and can vary with age and physiological status, e.g. menopause and pregnancy. Overall, females appear to be more symptomatic, with lower apnoea–hypopnoea index scores compared to males. Furthermore, they appear to have more prolonged partial upper airway obstruction, and may report insomnia as a symptom of OSAHS more frequently. As a consequence of these differences in clinical presentation, females with sleep disordered breathing are often underdiagnosed and undertreated compared to males. This review is aimed at discussing the epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathophysiology and hormonal and metabolic differences in females who present with OSA/OSAHS in comparison to males.

Downloadable publication

This is an electronic reprint of the original article.
This reprint may differ from the original in pagination and typographic detail. Please cite the original version.





Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 17:08