Gender differences of clinical and polysomnographic findings with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is underdiagnosed in females and gender differences in clinical and polysomnographic findings have not been widely investigated in China. We examined clinical and polysomnographic differences between males and females with OSAS in order to determine the influence of gender on clinical presentation and polysomnographic features. Data were collected from 303 adult patients diagnosed with OSAS (237 males and 66 females) from 2017 to 2019. All the patients completed physical examination, Epworth sleepiness scale, and whole night polysomnography. AVONA, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess gender differences of clinical and polysomnographic findings with OSAS. P < 0.05 was statistically significant. The average age was 48.4 ± 12.6 years for females and 43.4 ± 12.4 years for males. Compared with female patients with OSAS, male patients were taller and heavier, had higher systolic blood pressure in the morning, shorter duration of slow wave sleep, more micro-arousal events, greater AHI, and more complex sleep apnea events. There are obvious gender differences of clinical and polysomnographic characteristics with OSAS. Understanding gender differences will contribute to better clinical recognition of OSAS in females as well as the provision of proper health care and therapeutic practice.