Abstract

Gender differences in treatment recommendations for sleep apnea

Author(s): Francisco Campos-Rodr�?­guez*, Miguel A Mart�?­nez-Garc�?­a and Josep M Montserrat

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder with gender differences with respect to prevalence, clinical complaints, physiopathology and, possibly, cardiovascular and healthcare outcomes. To date, most of the treatment recommendations for OSA patients are supported by research conducted in men, while there is a scarcity of studies specifically designed to investigate the role of different treatment options, including continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), in women’s health. Nevertheless, recent studies have shed some light on this topic, showing that CPAP treatment may decrease cardiovascular mortality and most of the clinical complaints associated with OSA in women. The role of non-CPAP therapies such as weight loss, surgery, mandibular advancement devices and hormone-replacement therapy has not been adequately assessed in women, or yields conflicting results.