Sleep apnea can be worse for women, study finds.
THURSDAY, MAY 12TH 2016
Dr. John Swartzberg, head of the editorial board at the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, wants you to know that both men and women can have this condition.
“Don’t think sleep apnea is just a man’s problem because men tend to snore more,” he said. “Snoring is a warning sign, but you can have sleep apnea without snoring or very little snoring.”
A recent study in the journal Circulation suggests that sleep apnea may be even more dangerous for a woman’s heart. Dr. Swartzberg says this was a large and well-done study.
“These were women who tended to be older, their average age was 63,” he explained. “What they found was that women with sleep apnea had high rates of complications, such as high blood pressure, heart failure, heart enlargement, even premature death.”
If you suspect sleep apnea, tell you doctor and arrange to get tested.
