Asthma tied to sleep apnea in women

By David Douglas

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Asthma appears to almost double
the risk of symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea in young
mothers, Ohio-based researchers report.

“In a large population-based cohort of young women, we
found that women with asthma are twice as likely to have
symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea as compared to women
without asthma,” lead investigator Dr. Maninder Kalra told
Reuters Health.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder in which the tissues
at the back of the throat temporarily collapse, causing a brief
pause in breathing until the brain rouses the person from deep
sleep. This can happen dozens of times during the night and
often leads to poor sleep quality and daytime drowsiness.

Snoring is an indicator of sleep apnea.

Dr. Kalra, of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical
Center, and colleagues studied 677 women with an average age of
about 30 years.

In all, more than half of the women reported that they
never snored, but 231 (34 percent) reported snoring at least 1
night per week, and 85 (13 percent) reported snoring “almost
always.”

The 122 black women in the cohort were significantly more
likely than whites and others to be snorers. Non-asthmatic
smokers were also at increased risk for snoring.

In addition, women diagnosed with asthma and currently
having symptoms were almost twice as likely to snore.

Sleep apnea has been linked to heart disease and other
serious health problems.

“Knowledge that asthma is associated with increased risk of
obstructive sleep apnea has the potential of translating into
reduced morbidity due to obstructive sleep apnea, by allowing
early diagnosis and treatment,” concluded Kalra.

SOURCE: Annals of Allergy Asthma and Immunology August
2006.