Polysomnographic Findings and Clinical Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Iranian Men and Women

Document Type : Original Article(s)

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

2 Medical Student, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

Background: The obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common disorder with more prevalence in men. In this study, we investigated the effect of sex on clinical and paraclinical findings of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in the clinic of sleep disorders in Isfahan, Iran. The sample size was 200 men and 200 women. Polysomnography was done for all patients during the night. The data of the study were analyzed by SPSS using Student-t and chi square tests.Finding: There was not a significant difference on age between men and women. The body mass index in women was significantly more than men. Average duration of stay awake of women was significantly higher than men. Snoring frequency, the average duration of sleep and sleep quality score in women was significantly less than men. But the mean time of snoring was not different in men and women.Conclusion: Although further studies have reported higher prevalence of sleep apnea in men, the clinical manifestation of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome can be more severe in women.

Keywords


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