Abstract
Purpose of Review
The purpose of this review is to examine the gender differences in sleep disordered breathing focusing on biochemical, pathogenesis, clinical manifestation, and uncertainties.
Recent Findings
Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form of sleep disordered breathing and a prevalent disease in the general population. Studies on obstructive sleep apnea have included both genders, but women have often been underrepresented. The paucity of recent publications focusing on gender differences in obstructive sleep apnea necessitated that this review explores earlier relevant literature. The data reviewed suggests women have higher than earlier reported prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea and have different pathophysiologic risk factors with various phenotypes such that current scoring criteria might misclassify abnormal breathing events and therefore, women might be underdiagnosed.
Summary
The clinical presentation of obstructive sleep apnea in women differs from men. Variations in sleep architecture and respiratory events undermine the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in women, ostensibly facilitating misdiagnoses and misclassification of disease burden.
