Sleep-disordered breathing in premenopausal women: differences between younger (less than 30 years old) and older women

Abstract

Objective: To compare clinical manifestations and polysomnographic data of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in younger (less than 30 years old) versus older premenopausal women.

Methods: A cohort of 420 premenopausal women diagnosed with SDB in a university sleep clinic during a 5-year period underwent systematic collection of clinical and polysomnographic variables.

Results: One-hundred and fifteen (27.4%) women were younger than 30 (mean 24.5 ± 3.5 years), while 305 (72.6%) were older than 30 (mean 39.5 ± 5.7 years). The younger premenopausal women had less severe SDB with a trend towards upper-airway resistance syndrome. Despite similar daytime consequences, snoring was less common in the younger group. Both groups of premenopausal women frequently had insomnia and nasal abnormalities or craniofacial-deficiency.

Conclusion: Recognizing the different clinical features and understanding the different polysomnographic presentation of SDB in young premenopausal women are crucial to detecting and treating this syndrome.