TABLE IV.C.1a.
Population studies on prevalence or incidence of OSA in men and women
| Study | LOE | Study design | Cohort | Sample population | OSA diagnostics/criteria | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young90 | 2c | Cross-sectional | Wisconsin Sleep Cohort 30–60 years N = 602 | Population-based | PSG AHI ≥ 5 |
Higher prevalence in men for all age groups Men 2–3.7 times greater prevalence |
| Bixler144 | 2c | Cross-sectional | 20–100 years N = 1741 |
Population-based | PSG AHI > 15 |
Prevalence greater in post-menopausal women, and in those not taking hormone replacement therapy |
| Shahar154 | 2c | Cross-sectional | Sleep Heart Health Study Women >50 years N = 2852 |
Population-based | HST IV AHI > 15 |
Hormone use associated with less OSA, particularly among women 50–59 years old (adjusted OR 0.36) |
| Young99 | 2c | Cross-sectional | Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study Women 30–60 years N = 539 |
Population-based | PSG AHI ≥ 5 |
Menopausal transition associated with OSA after controlling for age, body habitus, and several lifestyle factors Postmenopausal women 2.6 times more likely to have AHI ≥ 5, and 3.5 times more likely to have AHI ≥ 15, compared to premenopausal women |
| Quintana-Gallego183 | 3b | Case–control | Spain sleep clinic Women mean age 58 ± 10 years; men mean age 53 ± 11 years N = 1745 |
Clinic-based | PSG AHI ≥ 10 or HST III RDI ≥ 10 |
Prevalence: 4.9:1 men to women ratio |
| Gabbay161 | 3b | Case–control | Israel multiple sleep centers 21–80 years N = 26,425 |
Clinic-based | PSG AHI ≥ 10 |
AHI increased with increasing age for both non-obese men and women Obesity affected AHI in men aged 20–40 years, but AHI did not change after age 40 years in obese men |
| Huang147 | 2b | Prospective cohort | Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) Post-menopausal women who were free of known OSA N = 50,473 NHS N = 53,827 NHSII |
Population-based | Medical record NHS: 12-year incidence NHSII: 20-year incidence |
Surgical menopause had 26% higher risk of incident OSA compared to naturally post-menopause, adjusted for age at menopause and other OSA risk factors |
| Won18 | 2c | Cross-sectional | MESA cohort Mean 69 ± 9 years N = 2057 |
Population-based | PSG AHI ≥ 15 |
Prevalence: 41% men, 22% women |