Orlando, FL (June 19, 1999) -- The risk of sleep breathing disorders is almost as high for post-menopausal women not taking hormone replacement as it is for men, according to two new studies.  Conducted by a group of researchers, the studies examined the risk factor level of sleep breathing disorders in women of pre and post menopausal age. Results were based on sleep laboratory evaluations based on the presence of four risk factors for sleep related diseases --
snoring, daytime sleepiness, obesity, and hypertension).

The two studies, one of men and the other of women, were based on random samples from the general population.  One study involved 4,364 men, ranging from 20-100 years.  The other study involved 12,219 women ranging in age from 20-98 years.  The sleep laboratory phase of these studies (741 men and 1,000 women) indicated that the ratio of sleep apnea in men and women was about 4 to 1, decreasing with age.  The women were then specially grouped into three categories: pre-menopausal, post-menopausal with hormone replacement, and post-menopausal without hormone replacement.

These studies concluded that post-menopausal women without hormone replacement had a prevalence which was similar to men, thus showing an increase in risk for sleep related breathing disorders.  Pre-menopausal women and women using hormone replacement seem to be protected from sleep apnea except when associated with obesity.

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