| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
From the Clinical Research Centers |
Sleep Research and Treatment Center (A.N.V., E.O.B., A.K.), Department of Psychiatry, and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (R.S.L., A.G.), Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033; and Pediatric and Reproductive Endocrinology Branch (G.P.C.), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 28092
Address correspondence and requests for reprints to: Alexandros N. Vgontzas, M.D., Sleep Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033. E-mail: axv3{at}psu.edu
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder of premenopausal women, characterized by chronic hyperandrogenism, oligoanovulation, and insulin resistance. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) are strongly associated with insulin resistance and hypercytokinemia, independently of obesity. We hypothesized that women with PCOS are at risk for OSA and EDS. Fifty-three women with PCOS (age range, 1645 yr) and 452 control premenopausal women (age range, 2042), from a general randomized sample for the assessment of prevalence of OSA, were evaluated in the sleep laboratory for 1 night. In addition, women with PCOS were tested for plasma free and weakly bound testosterone, total testosterone, and fasting blood glucose and insulin concentrations. In this study, PCOS patients were 30 times more likely to suffer from sleep disordered breathing (SDB) than the controls [odds ratio = 30.6, 95% confidence interval (7.2139.4)]. Nine of the PCOS patients (17.0%) were recommended treatment for SDB, in contrast with only 3 (0.6%) of the control group (P < 0.001). In addition, PCOS patients reported more frequent daytime sleepiness than the controls (80.4% vs. 27.0%, respectively; P < 0.001). PCOS patients who were recommended treatment for SDB, compared with those who were not, had significantly higher fasting plasma insulin levels (306.48 ± 52.39 vs. 176.71 ± 18.13 pmol/L, P < 0.01) and a lower glucose-to-insulin ratio (0.02 ± 0.00 vs. 0.04 ± 0.00, P < 0.05). Plasma free and total testosterone and fasting blood glucose concentrations were not different between the two groups of PCOS women. Our data indicate that SDB and EDS are markedly and significantly more frequent in PCOS women than in premenopausal controls. Also, insulin resistance is a stronger risk factor than is body mass index or testosterone for SDB in PCOS women. These data support our proposal that, independently of gender, sleep apnea might be a manifestation of an endocrine/metabolic abnormality in which insulin resistance plays a principal role.
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
E. Jedel, M. Waern, D. Gustafson, M. Landen, E. Eriksson, G. Holm, L. Nilsson, A.-K. Lind, P.O. Janson, and E. Stener-Victorin Anxiety and depression symptoms in women with polycystic ovary syndrome compared with controls matched for body mass index Hum. Reprod., November 19, 2009; (2009) dep384v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. Homburg Androgen circle of polycystic ovary syndrome Hum. Reprod., July 1, 2009; 24(7): 1548 - 1555. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. R. Bonsignore and J. Eckel Metabolic aspects of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome Eur. Respir. Rev., June 1, 2009; 18(112): 113 - 124. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. Jennum and R. L. Riha Epidemiology of sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome and sleep-disordered breathing Eur. Respir. J., April 1, 2009; 33(4): 907 - 914. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Sleep Disturbances in Women Journal Watch Women's Health, April 10, 2008; 2008(410): 1 - 1. [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
J. Ybarra, F. Planas, and J. M Pou Aminoterminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and sleep-disordered breathing in morbidly obese females: a cross-sectional study Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research, March 1, 2008; 5(1): 19 - 24. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. M. Punjabi The Epidemiology of Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea Proceedings of the ATS, February 15, 2008; 5(2): 136 - 143. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. J. Eckert and A. Malhotra Pathophysiology of Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea Proceedings of the ATS, February 15, 2008; 5(2): 144 - 153. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. Ahuja, J. H. Mateika, M. P. Diamond, and M. Safwan Badr Ventilatory sensitivity to carbon dioxide before and after episodic hypoxia in women treated with testosterone J Appl Physiol, May 1, 2007; 102(5): 1832 - 1838. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. J. Williams, F. B. Hu, S. R. Patel, and C. S. Mantzoros Sleep Duration and Snoring in Relation to Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among Women With Type 2 Diabetes Diabetes Care, May 1, 2007; 30(5): 1233 - 1240. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. G. Hoppin, E. S. Katz, L. M. Kaplan, and G. Y. Lauwers Case 31-2006 -- A 15-Year-Old Girl with Severe Obesity. N. Engl. J. Med., October 12, 2006; 355(15): 1593 - 1602. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. M. Ryan and T. D. Bradley Pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea J Appl Physiol, December 1, 2005; 99(6): 2440 - 2450. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Z. T. Bloomgarden Second World Congress on the Insulin Resistance Syndrome: Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and treatment approaches Diabetes Care, August 1, 2005; 28(8): 2073 - 2080. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E. O. Bixler, A. N. Vgontzas, H.-M. Lin, S. L. Calhoun, A. Vela-Bueno, and A. Kales Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in a General Population Sample: The Role of Sleep Apnea, Age, Obesity, Diabetes, and Depression J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., August 1, 2005; 90(8): 4510 - 4515. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Z. T. Bloomgarden Second World Congress on the Insulin Resistance Syndrome: Mediators, pediatric insulin resistance, the polycystic ovary syndrome, and malignancy Diabetes Care, July 1, 2005; 28(7): 1821 - 1830. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. A. Ehrmann Polycystic Ovary Syndrome N. Engl. J. Med., March 24, 2005; 352(12): 1223 - 1236. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. Morton Frequent Occurrence of Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism in Type 2 Diabetes J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., March 1, 2005; 90(3): 1903 - 1903. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. Shin, J. Kim, J. Kim, S. Lee, J. Shim, K. In, K. Kang, S. Yoo, N. Cho, K. Kimm, et al. Association of Habitual Snoring with Glucose and Insulin Metabolism in Nonobese Korean Adult Men Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., February 1, 2005; 171(3): 287 - 291. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. Saaresranta and O. Polo Sleep-disordered breathing and hormones Eur. Respir. J., July 1, 2003; 22(1): 161 - 172. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. B. Dixon, L. M. Schachter, and P. E. O'Brien Predicting Sleep Apnea and Excessive Day Sleepiness in the Severely Obese: Indicators for Polysomnography Chest, April 1, 2003; 123(4): 1134 - 1141. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
X. S. Zhou, J. A. Rowley, F. Demirovic, M. P. Diamond, and M. S. Badr Effect of testosterone on the apneic threshold in women during NREM sleep J Appl Physiol, January 1, 2003; 94(1): 101 - 107. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. Saaresranta and O. Polo Hormones and Breathing Chest, December 1, 2002; 122(6): 2165 - 2182. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. S. M. IP, B. LAM, M. M. T. NG, W. K. LAM, K. W. T. TSANG, and K. S. L. LAM Obstructive Sleep Apnea Is Independently Associated with Insulin Resistance Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., March 1, 2002; 165(5): 670 - 676. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Endocrinology | Endocrine Reviews | J. Clin. End. & Metab. |
| Molecular Endocrinology | Recent Prog. Horm. Res. | All Endocrine Journals |