A retrospective analysis of over 40,000 female veterans finds a 16% higher odds of all-cause mortality for women in a specific age group with high sleepiness scores, but not in those older or younger.
Key takeaways:
Excessive daytime sleepiness is associated with a 16% higher adjusted odds of all-cause mortality in women aged 50 to 65.
No significant association between excessive daytime sleepiness and mortality was observed in younger or older women.
The findings are based on a retrospective analysis of the medical records of 40,250 female veterans from 1999 to 202
2.- Researchers suggest clinicians should prioritize Epworth Sleepiness Scale assessment and management for women in this middle-aged group.
Excessive daytime sleepiness is associated with higher odds of all-cause mortality in middle-aged women, but not in those older or younger, according to a study presented at the SLEEP 2025.
Results from the analysis of 40,250 female veterans showed that the adjusted odds of all-cause mortality were 16% higher in women between the ages of 50 and 65 years who had high scores on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, compared with women who had normal levels of sleepiness. The results were adjusted for age, race, ethnicity, body mass index, and comorbidities.
“Identifying middle age as a critical period suggests clinicians should prioritize an Epworth Sleepiness Scale assessment and excessive daytime sleepiness management in women approaching their 50s and early 60s,” says lead author Arash Maghsoudi, PhD, an instructor at the Baylor College of Medicine, in a release.
The study involved a retrospective analysis of medical records from 1999 to 2022, focusing on female veterans who had a sleep disorder or had received sleep-related care. The study sample had a mean age of 48 years. Researchers analyzed clinical notes to extract scores on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale using a validated natural language processing tool.
Maghsoudi notes it is noteworthy that there was no association between excessive daytime sleepiness and mortality in older women, who tend to have more comorbidities. “It implies hormonal, metabolic, or resilience factors that warrant mechanistic follow-up for women in middle age,” he says in the release.
