Abstract
Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is more prevalent in men. Several studies suggested that higher testosterone levels were associated with a greater risk of OSA.
We aimed to determine whether testosterone administration in transgender men would accentuate symptoms of OSA. Methods: The study involved 94 adult people undergoing a female-to-male transition with testosterone administration.
The participants answered the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) and a separate question on snoring before starting testosterone treatment and after at least 1 year of being on testosterone treatment. Results: A higher proportion of participants at the follow-up answered positively to the first category of BQ devoted to snoring.
A lower proportion of participants at follow-up answered positively to the second category of BQ devoted to tiredness. The percentage of subjects with a high risk of sleep apnoea, according to BQ, and of those who answered the question on snoring positively did not change significantly.
Conclusion: An increased number of transgender men who reported snoring in BQ after testosterone administration indicate a higher risk of OSA development.