title: Sleep-disordered breathing in premenopausal women: differences between younger (less than 30 years old) and older women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare clinical manifestations and polysomnographic data of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in younger (less than 30 years old) versus older premenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of 420 premenopausal women diagnosed with SDB in a university sleep clinic during a 5-year period underwent systematic collection of clinical and polysomnographic variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One-hundred and fifteen (27.4%) women were younger than 30 (mean 24.5 ± 3.5 years), while 305 (72.6%) were older than 30 (mean 39.5 ± 5.7 years). The younger premenopausal women had less severe SDB with a trend towards upper-airway resistance syndrome. Despite similar daytime consequences, snoring was less common in the younger group. Both groups of premenopausal women frequently had insomnia and nasal abnormalities or craniofacial-deficiency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recognizing the different clinical features and understanding the different polysomnographic presentation of SDB in young premenopausal women are crucial to detecting and treating this syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Sleep Disorder Center Ramathibodi Hospital, Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit, Medicine Department, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. vtantrakul@gmail.com
authors.forename: Visasiri
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tantrakul
authors.forename: Chan-Soon
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guilleminault
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019465:Craniofacial Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D017697:Premenopause; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012913:Snoring / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult