Home / Health / Sleep Apnea Hits Women Harder Than Men
Sleep Apnea Hits Women Harder Than Men
10 Jun
Summary
- Women report higher levels of headaches and nightmares.
- Men and women have similar waking events per hour.
- Current diagnosis methods may overlook women's symptoms.
A recent study reveals that women with obstructive sleep apnea experience significantly more severe symptoms than men, even with comparable nighttime awakenings. The findings, set to be presented at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine meeting, highlight that women report higher levels of headaches, nightmares, and nocturia.
Researchers observed that while men and women initiate CPAP treatment with similar sleep apnea severity and classical symptoms like snoring and sleepiness, women face a greater overall symptom burden. This includes worse scores for sleep disturbance, daytime impairment, anxiety, anger, fatigue, depression, and cognitive function.
The study suggests current clinical algorithms may focus too heavily on classical symptoms, potentially overlooking the wider spectrum of issues women face. This could lead to significant delays in diagnosis and treatment for female patients, making them suffer longer before receiving appropriate care.
