Gender differences in sleep apnea: epidemiology, clinical presentation and pathogenic mechanisms

Sleep apnea syndromes are a common cause of sleepiness and neurocognitive impairment and have been implicated as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. While both epidemiological and sleep clinic-based studies indicate that sleep apnea syndromes are more common in men than in women, the gender difference in prevalence is more marked within the sleep clinic. Reasons for the relative failure of women to attend sleep clinics and the pathophysiologic differences that give rise to the male predominance of sleep apnea syndromes are unknown. The purpose of this review was to examine the literature with regard to these aspects, to provide clinical guidance to improve the reduced attendance of women to sleep laboratories and to stimulate research interest into the causes of these differences.