Investigation of electromiographic respiratory muscle function, posture and exercise capacity in women and men with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Sleep Apnea Syndrome is defined as the involuntary cessation of breathing that lasts for at least 10 seconds or more due to varying degrees of collapse in the "breathing" phase of the upper respiratory tract during sleep, and is accompanied by a decrease in oxygen saturation in the blood. The importance of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is that the decrease in blood oxygen saturation during apnea may cause long-term hypertension, cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary morbidity, or a higher risk. Abnormal respiratory status during sleep leads to cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases and excessive daytime sleepiness. Risk factors in OSAS include male gender, obesity and advanced age. It is known that morbidity and mortality increase in patients with OSAS. OSAS is more common in men than in women, and the cause is not clear. Although there are many studies investigating the factors affecting quality of life in sleep apnea patients, there are limited studies comparing the effects of respiratory muscle strength, exercise capacity and electromyographic respiratory muscle function findings on obstructive sleep apnea in men and women.