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Sleep-Disordered Breathing in the Perimenopausal and Menopausal Woman

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Sleep Disorders in Women

Part of the book series: Current Clinical Neurology ((CCNEU))

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Abstract

Compared to premenopausal women, the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been observed to increase in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. An increased risk for OSA remains even after controlling for confounders including age, body habitus and lifestyle factors. The elevated risk for sleep apnea may be related to hormonal changes, changes in body fat re-distribution, respiratory drive, ventilatory stability and upper airway anatomy and physiology. This chapter reviews the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea across menopause, how the menopausal transition impacts sleep disordered breathing characteristics and the potential mechanisms which may lead to the development of sleep-disordered breathing.

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Acknowledgements

This chapter was originally composed by Grace W. Pien MD, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA and Sigrid C. Veasey MD, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, USA

    Camelia A. Musleh

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  1. Camelia A. Musleh
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Correspondence to Camelia A. Musleh .

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  1. Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA

    Hrayr Attarian

  2. Department of Neurology, NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA

    Mari Viola-Saltzman

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Musleh, C.A. (2020). Sleep-Disordered Breathing in the Perimenopausal and Menopausal Woman. In: Attarian, H., Viola-Saltzman, M. (eds) Sleep Disorders in Women. Current Clinical Neurology. Humana, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40842-8_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40842-8_22

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