title: Influence of gender on continuous positive airway pressure requirements in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gender differences have been noted in key aspects of upper airway physiology and pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We postulate that these will lead to disparities in pharyngeal collapsibility and, consequently, positive airway pressure requirements of patients with OSA.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of 95 adult patients (56 women, 39 men) with OSA was done. Patients who underwent continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) titration were included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study groups were similar with regard to the severity of OSA (median apnea-hypopnea index of 34 in men and 24 in women, p = 0.13). The men were older and less obese than the women (mean age of 46 and 41 years, p = 0.03, BMI of 42 and 49 kg/m(2), p < 0.001, in men and women, respectively); Epworth score was similar in the two groups (12 vs.11, p = 0.91). CPAP requirement was higher in men than in women (12.7 vs. 10.2, p < 0.0001). The effect of gender on CPAP requirement was found to be significant even when confounding variables were accounted for using linear regression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Men with OSA are more likely to require higher levels of CPAP support than women. The effect of gender on CPAP requirement persisted even after correcting for the severity of OSA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Gnananandh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jayaraman
authors.forename: Hashir
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Majid
authors.forename: Salim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Surani
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Shyam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Subramanian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D015992:Body Mass Index; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000503:physiopathology; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*