CINCINNATI, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers have found that young women with asthma are twice as likely to have symptoms of sleep apnea compared with those who do not have asthma.
Twenty-one percent of young adult women with asthma experienced habitual snoring, the primary symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, according to researchers at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
The findings disprove a long-held notion that obstructive sleep apnea predominantly affects males, and highlights the importance of identifying specific groups of women who are at high risk for the condition, says lead author Dr. Maninder Kalra, of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when airways in the nose, mouth and throat narrow and disrupt a person's ability to breathe properly -- primarily during sleep. Left untreated, obstructive sleep apnea can lead to impaired memory, mood swings, restless sleep, and extreme day-time fatigue.
This study is published in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
