[Differences in health-related quality of Life between men and women with sleep-disordered breathing]

Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome (OSAHS) increases cardiovascular risk and has a negative impact on neurocognitive functioning. Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) is impaired in OSAHS patients, differently in men and women, but its evaluation is difficult by primary care providers.

To screen for OSAHS in patients with cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular risk factors, under the hypothesis of gender differences in HRQL.

Cross-sectional study including 75 consecutive patients (39 male, 36 female) with cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular risk factors, without acute disease. Anthropometric, demographic, and laboratory data were collected. The STOP-BANG questionnaire, for the screening of OSASH, and the COOP/WONCA charts for HRQL evaluation, were administered at the primary care setting.

Women with clinical finding evocative of OSAHS had lower HRQL than men with the same condition, as indicated by higher summation scores for COOP/WONCA charts (P=.002) and for dimensions of Physical Fitness (P<.001), Daily Activities (P=.040) and Change in health (P=.004), with a trend to a be into a lower social class. Summation scores for COOP/WONCA correlates with social class (P=.008) pointing out to a parallel improvement of HRQL with social status.

OSAHS screening along with HRQL measurement is feasible at the primary care level, revealing a distinctive feature in women with sleep-disordered breathing, a lower HRQL, undetectable by the instrumental sleep study.