title: Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Women's Perspective.
abstract: The main characteristics of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) are airflow limitation, chronic intermittent hypoxia, or apnea; which may lead to tissue hypoperfusion and recurrent arousal from sleep. These episodes of hypoxia or apnea can lead to tissue inflammation, and are causal factors of disturbed sleep in both men and women. Several lines of evidence suggest that sleep patterns differ along the lifespan in both male and female subjects, and this may result from the influence of female gonadotropic hormones on sleep. Compared to men, women have more sleep complaints, as women's sleep is not only influenced by gonadotropins, but also by conditions related to these hormones, such as pregnancy. It is therefore not surprising that sleep disturbances are seen during menopause, too. Factors that may play a role in this type of SDB in women include vasomotor symptoms, changing reproductive hormone levels, circadian rhythm abnormalities, mood disorders, coexistent medical conditions, and lifestyle factors.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Population Health, Center for Healthful Behavior Change, Health and Behavior, New York University School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Shazia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jehan
authors.affiliation: Departments of Population Health, Center for Healthful Behavior Change, Health and Behavior, New York University School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Auguste
authors.affiliation: Departments of Population Health, Center for Healthful Behavior Change, Health and Behavior, New York University School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Ferdinand
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zizi
authors.affiliation: Somnogen Canada Inc., Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Seithikurippu R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Pandi-Perumal
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Sleep Clinic, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, India.
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Hrayr
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Attarian
authors.affiliation: Departments of Population Health, Center for Healthful Behavior Change, Health and Behavior, New York University School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Giradin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jean-Louis
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Medicine, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, USA.
authors.forename: Samy I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: McFarlane
keywords: CPAP; CVD; Cardiovascular; Estrogen; Gender; Hormones; Melatonin; Menopause; OSA; Obstructive sleep apnea; Perimenopause; Postmenopause; Premenopause; Progesterone; SDB; Sleep-disordered breathing; Women