Does sleep apnea affect men and women differently?
Dr. McPherson: Sleep apnea does not necessarily affect women differently than men. I think women have some additional or differences in their physiology obviously, and also in their social position in our country that make their sleep different.
The things that affect women differently are primarily obviously the hormonal aspects of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause, and those become issues in some patients for, in terms of disruption of sleep.
They don’t necessarily impact sleep apnea, but those, some of the issues related to those problems or situations adversely affect their sleep. And I think women, in general, have additional responsibilities in our culture. In addition to the job, they have more responsibilities most of the time in relation to their family and children and that causes increased stress, anxiety, and often adversely affects their sleep. The sleep apnea is not that significantly different compared to men however.