Sex differences within symptom subtypes of mild obstructive sleep apnea

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Prior research identified symptom subtypes in moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
• These subtypes have not been consistently examined in individuals with mild OSA (AHI 5-15).
• Women are disproportionately affected by mild OSA and may exhibit distinct symptom profiles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine symptom subtypes within the mild OSA population.
• To investigate potential sex-based differences in the distribution of these symptom subtypes.

Main Methods:

• Latent class analysis was used to identify symptom subtypes in a sample of 1718 adults with mild OSA from the Sleep Heart Health Study.
• Participants underwent in-home polysomnography.
• Chi-squared tests and Bonferroni corrected z-tests were employed to assess sex differences in subtype distribution.

Main Results:

• Symptom subtypes in mild OSA mirrored those found in moderate to severe OSA: minimally symptomatic (36.4%), disturbed sleep (11.6%), moderately sleepy (37%), and excessively sleepy (15%).
• Significant sex differences were observed in symptom subtype distribution (p < 0.001).
• Women were more likely than men to fall into the disturbed sleep and excessively sleepy subtypes, and less likely to be in the moderately sleepy subtype.

Conclusions:

• Symptom reporting in mild OSA varies significantly between men and women.
• These findings underscore the importance of considering sex-specific differences in OSA screening and clinical evaluation.
• Tailored approaches to identifying and managing mild OSA may be necessary for men and women.