New study says half of women could be suffering from sleep apnea

A new study states that as many as half of women could be suffering from sleep apnea, the research published in August edition of Respiratory Journal indicates.

As part of the research, the experts from Umea University and Uppsala University, both in Sweden recruited a random population sample of 400 women. They were asked to fill the questionnaire and were monitored while they were sleeping. Of the 400 women, some experienced at least five episodes an hour, when they stopped breathing for more than 10 seconds.

The women who suffered from hypertension or those who were obese, there were two risk factors of sleep apnea reported. The numbers were also higher, reaching 80 to 84% of women.

The selected 400 female participants were in the age-group of 27 to 70 and from a population sample of 10,000 people. Each of them were fitted with sensors that measured their heart rate, eye movement, leg movement, blood oxygen levels, brain waves and air flow.

The study was funded by the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation. It was found that apnea became more common in the older age groups. Among women aged 20-44, one quarter had sleep apnea, compared with 56% of women aged 45-54 and 75% of women aged 55-70.

Meanwhile, severe sleep apnea involving more than 30 breathing disruptions per hour, was less common. Just 4.6% of women 45-54 and 14% of women 55-70 had severe cases. Their work that was supported by Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation states that doctors must regularly check obese women as also those women having hypertension for sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing during sleep.