Half of all women could have sleep apnoea and stop breathing at night for 10 seconds at a time

PUBLISHED: 10:03 EST, 8 September 2012 | UPDATED: 10:13 EST, 8 September 2012

Half of all women given overnight sleep tests for a new study were found to have mild-to-severe sleep apnoea.

Scientists in Sweden monitored the sleep patterns of 400 adult women overnight and found that half experienced at least five episodes an hour when they stopped breathing for longer than 10 seconds - the minimum definition of sleep apnoea.

Among women with hypertension or who were obese - two risk factors for sleep apnoea - the numbers were even higher, reaching 80 to 84 per cent of women.

Worrying: Half of all women given overnight sleep tests for a new study were found to have mild-to-severe sleep apnoea

Many of the women in the study represent mild cases of sleep apnoea.

'How important is the mild sleep apnoea, we don't know,' said Dr. Karl Franklin, the lead author of the study and a professor at Umea University in Sweden.

Terry Young, a professor in the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Wisconsin, said mild sleep apnoea is important to pay attention to.

More...

'We see that it doesn't go away and it gets worse,' she said.

Sleep apnoea is tied to a higher risk of stroke, heart attack and early death.

One recent study also found that women who have sleep apnoea are more likely to develop memory problems and dementia.

Cause for concern: Sleep apnoea is tied to a higher risk of stroke, heart attack and early death

Franklin said his group wanted to get updated evidence of how common the condition is.

The researchers selected 400 women between the ages of 20 and 70 from a larger population sample of 10,000, and asked them to sleep overnight at home with sensors attached to their bodies.

The sensors measured heart rate, eye and leg movements, blood oxygen levels, air flow and brain waves.

Each apnoea event was defined by at a least a 10-second pause in breathing accompanied by a drop in blood oxygen levels.

Women who had an average of five or more of these events during each hour of sleep were considered to have sleep apnoea.

The study, which was funded by the Swedish Heart Lung Foundation, found that apnoea became more common in the older age groups.

Among women aged 20-44, one quarter had sleep apnoea, compared to 56 percent of women aged 45-54 and 75 per cent of women aged 55-70.

Young said these numbers are higher than her own estimate, but that's likely because she used a more strict definition of sleep apnea than Franklin's group.

Franklin also said his equipment, being newer, is more sensitive in detecting interruptions in breathing.

Severe sleep apnoea, which involves more than 30 breathing disruptions per hour, was far less common.

Just 4.6 per cent of women 45-54 and 14 per cent of women 55-70 had severe cases.

Among women of all ages with hypertension, 14 per cent had severe sleep apnoea, and among women who were obese, 19 per cent had severe apnoea.

Franklin said that if physicians are looking for sleep apnoea among women, examining those who are obese, over 55 or have hypertension is a good place to start.

Young said sleep apnoea is often thought of as a condition of men, but identifying women with it is especially beneficial, because her research has shown that women are good at sticking with treatment.

'The prejudice of excluding women (as potentially having sleep apnoea) has been rampant for a long time. It's gotten better, however, and the (public health) gain in identifying women with sleep apnoea is great,' she said.

Add your comments

Comments (43)

The comments below have not been moderated.

View all

Both myself and my son have sleep apnea. We are both skinny malinks, and our GP has indicated it's because we have big tonsils. I would never have known about mine had I not made such a panic about my son's when he was first born. Very scary to hear your child stop breathing for so long!

- Rach , Edinburgh, 10/9/2012 06:49

Click to rate Rating (0)

Once asleep I don't suffer, BUT it's the bit where you are about to nod off and i stop breathing and then gasp for air. I dread going to bed as I know I will have to ensure this before I eventually fall asleep. Not sure if this is sleep apnea or not? this before I eventually fall asleep. Not sure if this is sleep apnea or not? - Student Midwife, UK, 9/9/2012 12:26 That happens to me too. You'll just be about to drift off and then it's as if your body forgets to breathe and you get jolted awake with a huge gasp. Unfortunately, this also happens to me after I've fallen asleep--I'll wake up gasping for air and my heart is racing like the clappers. It used to terrify me but I've somewhat learned to live with it. I'm always fine the next day so I just put it down to night time panic attacks. But this study doesn't concern me somewhat.

- kate , uk, 10/9/2012 01:08

Click to rate Rating (0)

I often wake up with a huge gasp, as if I had stopped breathing and my body was trying to wake me up in order to get oxygen. I just put it down to night time panic attacks as I suffer with terrible anxiety. I'd also sometimes have a racing heart like it's going 200 beats per minute and would think I'm in severe tachycardia. But, no, the doc says it's all just anxiety related. Now I'm a little worried because of this study...

- kate , uk, 10/9/2012 01:00

Click to rate Rating 2

I don't believe this just because the DM had a report on this on the week and apparently middle aged men suffered with this?! Make up your minds!!

- Rational Thinker , Wirral, 09/9/2012 18:04

Click to rate Rating 1

If you have a smartphone you can download a snore monitor app that you can set to record at certain times in the night. I downloaded it as my sleep was awful, with the recording I was shocked at the amount of times I stopped breathing and the hideous noises I made. I am now on a CPAP at night which takes some getting used to, but has literally transformed my life.

- Cornwall David , St Austell Cornwall, 09/9/2012 16:41

Click to rate Rating 16

Interesting! I know of a lady (Pia Beck - famous Dutch jazz pianist) who was diagnosed with onset Alzheimers. A second opinion showed that she had sleep apnea... Her symptoms disappeared when she started to sleep with an oxygen mask! Many people would benefit from this!

- Caroline , Woking, 09/9/2012 16:30

Click to rate Rating 10

I'm not in any of the at risk groups, since I'm thin and a non-smoker. For me it only started after my third baby was born. - Xxxxinger, Sydney, Australia, 9/9/2012 13:29*********No such thing as "risk group" where this condition is concerned. Most likelly, you are born with it. Son-in law has had heart attacks because of it, his father hasit and suffered heart attacks and his mother and one sister has it, which were caught somewhat in time. Both have Type 2 Diabetes and his mother has lung problems. All now use CPAP machines. His mother require oxygen at night, as well.

- Patrick , Belfast, 09/9/2012 16:22

Click to rate Rating 3

Skinny Eggs, Hot as Hades, United Kingdom - They (recently) have new head gear that is much smaller in size - the smallest being two hoses that fit inside each nostril, instead of covering the hole nose. I'm not sure if it's available in your neck of the woods, but it's worth making inquiries. - Scowl, Hampshire - I have multiple members in my family (immediate/aunts/uncles) who suffer with sleep apnea, some fit some not. I'm not sure if it's hereditary as some weren't diagnosed until they were older - after 60.

- Coast , Pacifica, 09/9/2012 15:55

Click to rate Rating 3

I hear this is hereditary... anyone know if this is true ?

- Scowl , Hampshire, 09/9/2012 14:32

Click to rate Rating 5

Once asleep I don't suffer, BUT it's the bit where you are about to nod off and i stop breathing and then gasp for air. I dread going to bed as I know I will have to ensure this before I eventually fall asleep. Not sure if this is sleep apnea or not? - Student Midwife , UK, 09/9/2012 12:26*****Don't kid yourself! If you do it falling asleep, you do it in your sleep. With NHS, there is no excuse not to be tested.

- Patrick , Belfast, 09/9/2012 13:35

Click to rate Rating 13

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.