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Review
. 2021 Sep 30;94(3):487-496.
eCollection 2021 Sep.

Gender Issues in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Jacqueline H Geer  1 , Janet Hilbert  1
Affiliations
Review

Gender Issues in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Jacqueline H Geer et al. Yale J Biol Med. .

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea has historically been considered a male disease. Although most studies have shown male predominance, obstructive sleep apnea is highly prevalent in women, increasing with age and varying with physiologic status among other factors. Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with significant symptoms and health consequences in women yet remains underdiagnosed in women in part due to differences in presenting symptoms, differences in polysomnographic findings, and/or sociocultural factors. This review will discuss the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic findings, and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, focusing on sex and gender differences.

Keywords: gender; obstructive sleep apnea; polysomnography; sex characteristics; women.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Pathogenesis and Potential Consequences of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Abbreviations: CNS = central nervous system, OSA = obstructive sleep apnea.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Female-Specific Obstructive Sleep Apnea Characteristics. Abbreviations: AHI = apnea-hypopnea index, REM = rapid eye movement, OSA = obstructive sleep apnea.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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