Report: Elderly Women Have Different Sleep Apnea Symptoms

[mars]

Hi All

from Reuters Health Information -

Elderly Women Have Different Sleep Apnea Symptoms

By Will Boggs, MD

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Sep 27 - Elderly women with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may not present with typical symptoms of sleepiness, French researchers say.

"Physicians have to screen for OSA in women having depression, anxiety, and obesity even when subjects do not complain of sleepiness and other typical symptoms of OSA," Dr. Emilia Anna Sforza from CHU Nord, Saint-Etienne, told Reuters Health in an email.

Dr. Sforza and colleagues examined gender differences in sleep-related symptoms, sleepiness, mood disorders, fat distribution, and cardiovascular risk in 379 women and 262 men between 65 and 70 years old diagnosed with OSA.

More than half these patients (369, 57%) had at least a mild form of apnea, as indicated by an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) above 15. Roughly a third (34%) had mild OSA; 24% had more severe OSA (AHI above 30), the authors report in a September 3rd online paper in the European Respiratory Journal Express.

Significantly more men (33%) than women (16.6%) had more severe OSA, and men had a greater body mass index (BMI).

Compared to men with OSA, women with OSA were less likely to report snoring, apnea, or sleepiness and more likely to be anxious and depressed and to be taking antidepressants and benzodiazepines.

These findings were not surprising, the authors say, "as in middle-aged studies, women reported less frequently the cardinal symptoms of OSA and had a higher risk to have had, or to be treated for, mood and anxiety disorders."

Hypertension was significantly more common among women with OSA than among women without it, and women with OSA had greater BMI and neck circumference, but there were no significant differences between women with and without OSA in waist or hip circumference or in central, total, or peripheral fat mass.

Similarly, men with OSA were more likely than men without OSA to have hypertension, but OSA status was not linked with anthropometric or DEXA data.

"In contrast to middle aged patients, old women with OSA have greater hypertensive risk than men and, therefore, may have greater cardiovascular mortality and morbidity," Dr. Sforza said.

She added that the high incidence of OSA in otherwise healthy elderly suggests the need for early diagnosis to prevent cardiovascular risk.

Eur Resp J. Posted online September 3, 2010. Abstract

Mars

[KatieW]

Well, I'm glad I'm not "elderly" or "old" ....yet.

Interesting article Mars, thanks.

[brazospearl]

I second Katie's happiness about not being "elderly" or "old" yet. And I'm thankful I've started therapy early enough that I might be able to prevent some of the health issues. Life is good!

[bearded_two]

I work for an assisted living company, and somebody using the term "old women" would be told that it is not an appropriate term -- and would probably be reprimanded.

[BlackSpinner]

I work for an assisted living company, and somebody using the term "old women" would be told that it is not an appropriate term -- and would probably be reprimanded.

Right - and notice they mention "old women with ... risk then men" - there is no "old" modifier for men. There are better terms to use that do not sound derogatory.

How ever it is interesting that women presented differently then men even in middle age. I know that for me the sleepiness didn't present until I had extremely severe OSA with O2 levels dropping to 56%.