Sleep Apnea Differs in Men, Women

Breathing disorder more often tied to depression, thyroid in women: Study

FRIDAY, March 18, 2005 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they've found clinical differences between men and women with obstructive sleep apnea, a serious condition in which breathing is frequently impeded during sleep.

The study of 130 women and 130 men with obstructive sleep apnea found that the women were more likely than men to be treated for depression, to have hypothyroidism and to have insomnia.

The Canadian researchers say doctors should look for sleep apnea in obese women with a history of any of those three conditions.

"Depression and sleep apnea have similar side effects and can be easily misdiagnosed for the wrong condition," study author Dr. M.H. Kryger, of the Sleep Disorders Centre, St. Boniface General Hospital Research Centre, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, said in a prepared statement.

Reporting in the March issue of the journal Sleep, the researchers said they found no significant gender differences in terms of prevalence of sleep-related symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness, restless legs syndrome, choking on awakening at night, dreaming on sleep onset, sleep paralysis, snoring, and dreaming during naps.

Men and women also developed typical symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, such as snoring and daytime sleepiness, at roughly the same age (the mid-30s to early 40s).

While it was well known that men have a higher incidence of sleep apnea than women (4 percent vs. 2 percent), this study provides more insight into the differences between women and men upon initial clinical presentation of the condition, the researchers said.

More information

The American College of Physicians has more about sleep apnea.

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