Longer Airway In Men Raises Potential For Pharyngeal Collapse

Because of a substantially longer airway, men are much more predisposed to pharyngeal collapse than women, which investigators believe could explain their much higher risk of obstructive sleep apnea. In addition to their substantially longer pharyngeal airways, men also had an increased cross-sectional area of soft palate and increased airway volume.

Based on an in-depth study of 19 males and 20 females to determine the anatomic and physiologic variables that are mechanistically important in pharyngeal behavior, the researchers constructed a model of a human upper airway. Then they used this model to assess the impact of specific anatomic features in upper airway mechanics.

The investigators believe that the anatomic differences observed can significantly impact airway collapsibility and could explain, in part, the male predisposition to obstructive sleep apnea. They said that the fact the male airway is longer, even when length is normalized for body height, suggests that the observed length differences are sex-specific rather than a function of men being taller than women.

The study appears in the second issue for November 2002 of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Source: Medwire