Impact of menopause on the manifestation and severity of sleep-disordered breathing.
BACKGROUND
Decreased production of female hormones might explain the increased prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing in postmenopausal women.


OBJECTIVE
We evaluated, whether menopause has an impact on the manifestation of sleep-disordered breathing in terms of signs, symptoms, and breathing pattern.


METHODS
The study was a cross-sectional study utilizing a patient database, hospital records, sleep studies, and questionnaires. The hospital records and sleep studies were reviewed in 601 consecutive women studied between 1994 and 1998 in a university hospital pulmonary clinic. The records were completed with questionnaires.


RESULTS
Nocturnal breathing abnormalities covered a greater proportion of the night in postmenopausal than in premenopausal women (68.1% versus 35.8% of time in bed, p<0.0001), and the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing tended to be higher (86.2% versus 79.4% of time in bed, p=0.057). The body mass indices and the major symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing were similar in pre- and postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal women had less nasal congestion (p<0.001) than premenopausal ones. Body mass index was a significant explanatory factor of daytime sleepiness.


CONCLUSIONS
Post- and premenopausal women present with similar signs and symptoms when referred to sleep studies. However, sleep-disordered breathing is more severe in postmenopausal than in premenopausal women.
Anttalainen
Ulla
U
Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland. ulla.anttalainen@tyks.fi
Saaresranta
Tarja
T
Aittokallio
Jenni
J
Kalleinen
Nea
N
Vahlberg
Tero
T
Virtanen
Irina
I
Polo
Olli
O
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007040:Hypoventilation / Q000503:physiopathology; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000503:physiopathology*