Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Women

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea is known to be more prevalent in men. In women the prevalence varies throughout her life span as she goes through different stages; puberty, reproductive years, pregnancy and post-menopausal state. The disparity of prevalence within the lifespan of women and in comparison, to men is not only due to different pathophysiologic factors like upper airway anatomy, chemoreflexes, sex hormones but also due to under recognition of sleep disordered breathing in women due to atypical presentation and difference in polysomnographic phenotypes. This review summarizes the literature regarding sleep-disordered breathing in women, its pathophysiology, sex differences in phenotypes and implications of sex differences on management.