Women with partial upper airway obstruction are not less sleepy than those with obstructive sleep apnea.
OBJECTIVE
Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) differs between genders in terms of the type, signs, and symptoms of the disease. Partial upper airway obstruction is underdiagnosed and undertreated.


METHODS
In this study, we retrospectively investigated respiratory sleep recordings of 601 women, ending up with 240 women for the final statistical analyses. We hypothesized that there are differences between the signs and symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing whether women had partial upper airway obstruction or obstructive sleep apnea.


RESULTS
The results showed no difference in sleepiness between women with partial upper airway obstruction or obstructive sleep apnea. Also, the other main symptoms of SDB were the same between the groups. Micrognathia was more common in women with partial upper airway obstruction than with obstructive sleep apnea.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that partial upper airway obstruction in women should be clinically recognized like obstructive sleep apnea.
Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland. ulla.anttalainen@tyks.fi
Ulla
U
Anttalainen
Olli
O
Polo
Tero
T
Vahlberg
Tarja
T
Saaresranta
D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis*