ObstructiveSleepApnea(OSA)isacommonchronicdisorderthataffects5–10%oftheUSpopulationwithahigherprevalenceinmencomparedtowomenby2:1inpopulationstudies.Bycontrast,inpatientswithcardiovasculardisease,itsprevalencecanexceed50%dependingonthespecificdisordersurveyed.Althoughsexdifferenceshavebeenwelldescribedforcardiovascularriskfactors;existingdataregardingtheimpactofsexontherelationshipbetweenOSAandcardiovascularoutcomesiscontroversial.Similarly,whilethereisstrongevidenceforincreasedprevalenceofcardiovascularconditions,suchassystemichypertension,atrialfibrillation,aswellasheartfailureamongstpatientssufferingfromOSA;conflictingevidenceexistsregardingtheincidenceandbidirectionalrelationshipbetweenthemaswellastheimpactoftreatmentofOSAoncardiovascularoutcomes.Inthispaper,wewillreviewtheassociationsbetweenOSAandcardiovasculardiseasesinwomen.Thedataonsexdifferencesislimited,duetoanumberofreasons,including,butnotlimitedtolatepresentationofOSAinwomen,difficultiesindiagnosingbothOSAandcardiovasculardiseasesinwomenandstillsuboptimalinclusionofadequatenumberofwomeninclinicaltrials.MorestudiesareneededtobetterdelineatesexdifferencesintheclinicalpresentationaswellasthepathophysiologyoftheassociationsbetweenOSAandcardiovasculardiseasessothatwecanprovidepatientswithmorepersonalizedcare.
