Many scientists have anecdotally thought this might be the case but it has not been scientifically proven. The five-year study involved 1,741 women ranging in age from 20 to 100. Among the women studied, 1.2 percent had sleep apnea. Sleep apnea was found in 0.6 percent of premenopausal women and in 0.5 percent of postmenopausal women on hormone replacement therapy. In contrast 2.7 percent of postmenopausal women not taking hormone replacement therapy had sleep apnea, more than five times the rate of women taking hormone replacement therapy.
Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep.
These breathing pauses are often accompanied by snoring. Sleep apnea is also associated with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Earlier studies by Bixler have shown that there are several risk factors for sleep apnea including male gender and obesity. This work indicates that in women, menopause is a significant risk factor for sleep apnea as well. We also know that sleep apnea is more prevalent as we age.