The Impact of Gender on Timeliness of Narcolepsy Diagnosis

Abstract

the Yale Center of Sleep Medicine. All patients completed polysomnography (PSG) and multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), and a structured interview by an independent sleep specialist. Patients were administered a standardized 8-page questionnaire within 4 weeks of their narcolepsy diagnosis. Sixteen patients did not complete the questionnaire or had missing data, and were excluded. The study was approved by the Yale Institutional Review Board. QuestionnaireThe standardized questionnaire, in addition to other sleep disorder symptoms, sleep history and habits, current medications, and social, psychological, psychiatric, surgical, and Study Objectives: To examine the impact of gender in narcoleptic patients on timeliness of diagnosis, symptomology, and health and lifestyle impairment Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 109 consecutive patients (68 women) with newly diagnosed narcolepsy with and without cataplexy, from a University sleep disorders center. Consecutive patients were administered an 8-page questionnaire at the time of their diagnosis regarding sleep habits, medications, and medical conditions, lifestyle impairments, as well as details regarding narcolepsy-related symptoms. Results: Men and women presented with remarkably similar narcolepsy related symptoms, yet women were more likely to be delayed in diagnosis; 85% of men were likely to be diagnosed by 16 years after symptom onset, compared to 28 years in women. More women were likely to remain undiagnosed at any given time point after symptom onset (hazard ratio for diagnosis of men compared to women 1.53; 95% CI 1.01-2.32; p = 0.04). Men and women reported similar degree of subjective sleepiness as measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (mean 16.2 ± 4.5; p = 0.18), though women demonstrated signifi cantly more severe objective sleepiness on multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT) (mean sleep latency in women = 5.4 min (± 4.1), in men 7.4 min (± 3.5); p = 0.03). Despite being more objectively sleepy, women were less likely to report lifestyle impairments in the areas of personal relationships (71% men, 44% women, p = 0.01) and physical activity (36% men, 16% women, p = 0.02), but were also more likely to self-medicate with caffeine (63.4% men, 82.4% women; p = 0.03). Conclusions: Narcolepsy impacts men and women's health and lifestyle differently, and may cause delays diagnosis for women. Keywords: Narcolepsy, gender, sex, sleep, hypersomnia, diagnosis, women S C I E N T I F I C I N V E S T I G A T I O N SS leep disorders affect women and men differently. This is well described, for example, in sleep disordered breathing, insomnia, and restless leg syndrome. In these common sleep disorders, there are notable sex differences in disease prevalence, manifestation, health effects, and social consequences, 1-9 as well as sex-related discrepancies in diagnosis and health care delivery. 10 There is some evidence from animal models and genetic studies to suggest sex differences in the susceptibility and manifestation of narcolepsy.11-13 However, sex d...

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