Female Sex and Gender in Lung/Sleep Health and Disease. Increased Understanding of Basic Biological, Pathophysiological, and Behavioral Mechanisms Leading to Better Health for Female Patients with Lung Disease

Female sex/gender is an undercharacterized variable in studies related to lung development and disease. Notwithstanding, many aspects of lung and sleep biology and pathobiology are impacted by female sex and female reproductive transitions. These may manifest as differential gene expression or peculiar organ development. Some conditions are more prevalent in women, such as asthma and insomnia, or, in the case of lymphangioleiomyomatosis, are seen almost exclusively in women. In other diseases, presentation differs, such as the higher frequency of exacerbations experienced by women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or greater cardiac morbidity among women with sleep-disordered breathing. Recent advances in -omics and behavioral science provide an opportunity to specifically address sex-based differences and explore research needs and opportunities that will elucidate biochemical pathways, thus enabling more targeted/personalized therapies. To explore the status of and opportunities for research in this area, the NHLBI, in partnership with the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health and the Office of Rare Diseases Research, convened a workshop of investigators in Bethesda, Maryland on September 18 and 19, 2017. At the workshop, the participants reviewed the current understanding of the biological, behavioral, and clinical implications of female sex and gender on lung and sleep health and disease, and formulated recommendations that address research gaps, with a view to achieving better health outcomes through more precise management of female patients with nonneoplastic lung disease. This report summarizes those discussions

Preterm birth disparities between states in the United States: an opportunity for public health interventions

Objective: To examine associations between statelevel characteristics and state-level preterm birth rates. Study design: We conducted a retrospective ecological cross-sectional study using statelevel data from 2013 to 2014 extracted from publicly available sources –the March of Dimes PeriStats database, the U.S. Census Bureau, the US Department of Education, and the US Department of Justice. Results: State-level preterm birth rates correlated with the following state characteristics: poverty rate, obesity rate, percentage of non-Hispanic Black women residents, smoking rate, percent of C − section deliveries, percent of births to women <20 years old, pregnancies receiving late/no prenatal care, and violent crimes per capita. Linear regression analysis found that only the percent of non-Hispanic Black women by state remained a significant predictor of state-level preterm birth rates after adjusting for other risk factors. Conclusions: States with higher percentages of non-Hispanic Black women had higher rates of preterm birth, even after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, prenatal care, and maternal health by state. These findings suggest that public health interventions that target contextual and environmental risk factors affecting non-Hispanic Black women may help to curb rising rates of preterm birth in the United States

Cardiovascular Disease in Women Across the Lifespan: The Importance of Sleep.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and sleep disturbances are both common and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Compared with men, women are more likely to report insufficient sleep. During the 2018 Research Conference on Sleep and the Health of Women sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, researchers in cardiology, integrative physiology and sleep medicine reviewed the current understanding of how sleep and sleep disturbances influence CVD in women across the lifespan. Women may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of sleep disturbances at important stages of their life, including during pregnancy and after menopause. The proposed pathways linking sleep disturbances and adverse cardiovascular outcomes in women are numerous and the complex interaction between them is not well understood. Future research focused on understanding the scope of sleep disorders in women, defining the underlying mechanisms, and testing interventions to improve sleep are critical for improving the cardiovascular health of all women

Síndrome de apnea-hipopnea obstructiva del sueño (SAHOS) y embarazo

El embarazo es una condición temporal de la vida en la que ocurren importantes cambios en la fisiología de la mujer, los cuales se resuelven, en gran medida, después del parto. Hay cambios físicos, hormonales y psicológicos, con un aumento progresivo de peso. Estos factores pueden predisponer a un trastorno respiratorio del sueño o a exacerbar alguno ya existente. La literatura científica sugiere una mayor prevalencia de ronquido en las mujeres embarazadas. Las bases de datos demuestran que en menos del 1% de los embarazos aparece el código del diagnóstico de apnea de sueño. Se ha relacionado la presencia tanto de ronquido como de apnea durante el embarazo con algunos desenlaces adversos que se tratan en este artículo, el cual busca sensibilizar a los médicos para que consideren este diagnóstico durante el embarazo.Pregnancy is a temporary condition of life during which important changes in the physiology of women occur; such changes are resolved, to a large extent, after childbirth. Physical, hormonal and psychological changes can be observed as weight increases progressively. These factors may predispose to a respiratory sleep disorder or exacerbate an existing sleep disorder. The scientific literature suggests a higher prevalence of snoring in pregnant women, although databases show the diagnosis code of sleep apnea in less than 1% of pregnancies. The presence of both snoring and apnea during pregnancy has been associated with some adverse outcomes discussed in this article, which seeks to sensitize physicians to consider this diagnosis during pregnancy

Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and pregnancy

Pregnancy is a temporary condition of life during which important changes in the physiology of women occur; such changes are resolved, to a large extent, after childbirth. Physical, hormonal and psychological changes can be observed as weight increases progressively. These factors may predispose to a respiratory sleep disorder or exacerbate an existing sleep disorder. The scientific literature suggests a higher prevalence of snoring in pregnant women, although databases show the diagnosis code of sleep apnea in less than 1% of pregnancies. The presence of both snoring and apnea during pregnancy has been associated with some adverse outcomes discussed in this article, which seeks to sensitize physicians to consider this diagnosis during pregnancy