Objective: To realize the characteristics of symptoms and polysomnography in women with sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) compared with that of male patients.
Methods: The symptoms and polysomnography were compared between men and women with SAHS and among mild (5 to 19 events/h), moderate (20 to 39 events/h), severe (> or = 40 events/h) of female patients.
Results: Female patients were older than that of male(51.1 +/- 11.2 yr versus 43.9 +/- 10.1 yr). The mean body mass index(BMI) for women was (27.8 +/- 3.9) kg/m2 and (28.1 +/- 3.8) kg/m2 for men. Women with higher AHI snored more severely, and female had a lower apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and apnea index (AI) but higher hypopnea index (HI) than did male. In addition, the respiratory events during non-rapid eye movement for men were significantly higher than that for women.
Conclusion: Female patients are older than male but not more adipose. SAHS and respiratory events during NREM sleep are less severe in women.