Summary
Objective
To compare the age-dependent severity and clinical profile of men and women with polysomnographically-documented obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).
Method
A retrospective comparison of polysomnographic and clinical data obtained from 358 carefully age- and RDI-matched men and women with OSAS diagnosed in the Technion Sleep Laboratories.
Results
We found that women complained significantly more on “difficulties falling asleep”, “early morning awakenings”, “morning fatigue”, “mid-sleep awakenings” and “morning headaches”. Nevertheless, stepwise regression analysis revealed that subjective complaints were significant predictors of RDI in men only.
Conclusions
We conclude that the clinical profile of OSAS in women is different from that in men, and that these differences should be taken into account when evaluating women suspected of having OSAS.
Zusammenfassung
Fragestellung
Ein Vergleich von altersabhängigem Schweregrad und klinischem Bild des polysomnographisch dokumentierten Schlaf-Apnoe-Syndroms bei Männern und Frauen.
Methode
Ein nach Alter und RDI an 358 Männern und Frauen mit OSAS vorgenommener retrospektiver Vergleich polysomnographischer und klinischer Daten, die in den Schlaflaboratorien des Technions auf gezeichnet wurden.
Ergebnisse
Frauen beklagen signifikant häufiger “Schwierigkeiten, einzuschlafen” und “morgendliche Kopfschmerzen”. Nichtsdestotrotz ergaben schrittweise Regressionsanalysen, dass subjektive Klagen nur bei Männern signifikante Prädiktoren für einen RDI waren.
Schlussfolgerungen
Es ist zu schließen, dass das klinische Bild des OSAS bei Frauen anders ist als das bei Männern, und dass diese Unterschiede bei der Beurteilung berücksichtigt werden müssen, wenn bei Frauen der Verdacht auf ein OSAS besteht.
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Lavie, P., Pillar, G. Gender and age differences in symptoms' profile in sleep apnea syndrome: A possible cause of gender bias in diagnosis. Somnologie 5, 93–96 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1439-054X.2001.01162.x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1439-054X.2001.01162.x