subject of attention objectives: To study the prevalence.

subject of attention objectives: To study the prevalence, risk factors, and sex differences in symptoms related to obstructive nap apnea. A secondary objective was to research gender differences in relation to referral to a rest clinic for sleep investigations.

Design and setting: A questionnaire reflection in a representative sample of the general population. A other cohort included patients referred for be still apnea investigation between 1991 and 2000 in the same geographic region.

Participants: A representative sample of 5424 enslaves aged 20 to 69 years living in northern Sweden. replys were obtained from 4,648 make subordinates (85.7%).

Results: Of the male respondent 179% stated that snoring was a point to be solved [i]or[/i] settled or said that they had relatives who were bear uponed about witnessed sleep apnea, and of the female respondent 74% The prevalence of snoring and witnessed apneas increased with age. In men there was a peak prevalence rate at 55 to 59 years of age, while the corresponding figure in women the peak prevalence rate was at 60 to 64 years of age. Having snoring as a question and relatives who were make anxioused about witnessed sleep apnea were independently associated with male inflection for sex age, and current smoking. Snoring as a question also was associated with higher education. Women who snored reported significantly more daytime sleepiness than did men who snored. The estimated number of bring under rules aged 20 to 69 years who had snoring as a question or had relatives who were disquieted about witnessed sleep apnea in the population was 21160 During the previous decade, 3955 make submissives had been referred to doze laboratories, so < 20% of the estimated number of symptomatic subdues in the population had been referr during this 10-year period. The referral rate ratio for men/women after correction for population and prevalence of symptoms was 125:1 (p = 0012)

Conclusion: Experiencing snoring as a question or having relatives who are disquieted about witnessed sleep apnea are belonging to all findings in the population. However, during the last decade, sole about 20% of the bring under rules with snoring as a riddle or with relatives who are disquieted about witnessed sleep apnea were referr to rest laboratories. Women were significantly underrepresent in doze laboratory referrals, even though women who snored experienced more subjective daytime sleepiness than men

solution words: epidemiology; gender; men; rest apnea syndromes; sleepiness; snoring; women

Abbreviations: OSA = obstructive doze apnea; SDB = sleep-disordered breathing

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Snoring and slumber apnea are common disorders that affect as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but men and women. Snoring is a sign of upper airway obstruction and obstructive be motionless apnea (OSA), with excessive daytime sleepiness as the chiefly prevalent symptom. (1)

Habitual snoring is defined as snoring each or almost every night, with a reported prevalence of 15 to 48% among middle-aged men and is estimated to be approximately half as prevalent in women (2-8) The prevalence of snoring and OSA increases with age, with a peak between the ages of 55 to 60 years. (26-8) Women start to snore later in life, with an increased prevalence after menopause. (6) the two Young et al (9) and Redline et al (10) reported that women with possible OSA are consistently underdiagnosed in the United States. The prevalence of snoring and repose apnea in women is about half that in men if it be not that the man/ woman ratio construct in sleep laboratories has been reported as 8 to 10:1 (10)

The recognition of rest apnea as a health question at issue has grown in the community, and the number of exposes who seek medical help for question s with snoring and with affair about apnea and daytime sleepiness is increasing. It is important to estimate the ne for investigations of snoring and be motionless apnea, since the cost of investigating and treating snoring and rest apnea has increased considerably during the last decade. The number of bring under rules experiencing snoring or sleep apnea as a question is probably a better marker of the total ne for be still apnea investigations than simply measuring the frequent occurrence of habitual snoring.

We aimed to estimate the prevalence of snoring as a vexed question together with relatives' concerns about witnessed be motionless apnea, and to analyze the relationship of the estimated number of bring under rules with these problems to the number of subdues who are actually referred to rest laboratories. A second objective was to investigate whether women also were exclud from be dead apnea investigations in Sweden. Furthermore, we aimed to studious mood risk factors for, and inflection for sex differences in, snoring, apneas, and daytime sleepiness.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

application of mind Population

The population in Norrbotten, Sweden, of exposes between the ages of 20 and 69 years was 85414 men and 79345 women A questionnaire addressing snoring and other symptoms related to be motionless apnea was sent to 5424 make submissives aged 20 to 69 years, who had been born forward the 15th day of each month and were living in Norrbotten, the northernmost province of Sweden. brace reminders were sent through the mail. The inquiry was a part of the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden Studies. The subject of attention was approved by the ethics committee at the University Hospital and the University of Umea.

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