Posted: September 30, 2022
Take a moment and imagine a person with sleep apnea. What kinds of descriptors come to mind? An older person, someone that’s overweight? Are they a man or a woman? The interesting thing about this experiment is that most people are actually right. The question remains, "Why are men more susceptible to sleep apnea than women?"
Characteristics Associated With Sleep Apnea
Let’s take a step back, aside from preconceptions. What factors contribute to sleep apnea?
- Weight
- Alcohol consumption (especially before bed)
- Smoking cigarettes
- Family history of snoring or sleep apnea
- Age
- Small lower jaw
Why?
Why do older, overweight, men suffer more, at least statistically from sleep apnea? One explanation is that men’s sleep apnea tends to be sleep posture dependent. Combined with other risk factors like being overweight and older, and this seems to make sense considering the increased probability of an airway obstruction.
Another theory is that women may be less likely to report their symptoms because of the perceived stigma that snoring is masculine. If this is the case, the statistics may be artificially skewed, and men and women have an equal likelihood of suffering from sleep apnea.
While there isn't a singular consensus on why, factors like obesity, upper airway anatomy, breathing control, hormones, and aging are agreed to be to blame.
The Research
In a study published by reseachers Christine M. Lin, Terence M. Davidson, and Sonia Ancoli-Israel, sleep-disordered breathing occurred in 24% of young-middle-aged men and 9% of women and 70% of older men and 56% of older women.
Contact Evolution Dental Today
If you live in Calgary, Northwest Calgary, Cochrane or other nearby areas of Alberta and would like to learn more about sleep apnea treatment options, you can call Evolution Dental today at 403-768-2433 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kendra Schick.
*all procedures performed at our practice by a general dentist
