1 Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS Nord-de-L'Ile-de-Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
2 Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
3 École de Santé Publique, Département de Médecine Sociale Et Préventive, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
4 Mount Sinai Hospital Center, Montreal, Canada.
5 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
6 Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal and CRIUGM, CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-L'Ile-de-Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
7 PERFORM Centre, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
8 Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
9 Sleep Centre, Foothills Medical Centre, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
10 Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
11 Blackmore Sleep Disorders Program, University of British Columbia Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
12 Research Centre On Aging, University Institute of Geriatrics of Sherbrooke, CIUSSS de l'Estrie - CHUS, Sherbrooke, Canada.
13 University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada.
14 Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
15 Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS Nord-de-L'Ile-de-Montréal, Montreal, Canada. nadia.gosselin@umontreal.ca.
16 Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada. nadia.gosselin@umontreal.ca.

Determining the prevalence and characteristics of individuals susceptible to present with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is essential for developing targeted and efficient prevention and screening strategies. We included 27,210 participants aged =45 years old (50.3% women) from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Using the STOP questionnaire combined to the percentage of body fat (%BF), we estimated the prevalence of individuals at high-risk for OSA in a sex and age-specific manner, and tested the relation with comorbidities, menopause and systemic inflammation. The prevalence was 17.5%, and was lower in women (13.1%) than in men (21.9%). A high level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein was the strongest factor associated with OSA risk and this association was 1.3-2.3 times higher in women than in men. OSA risk increased with age, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, anxio-depressive symptoms, asthma and arthritis. In women, post-menopausal status was associated with a high OSA risk. Nearly 1 adult out of 5 older than 45 is at risk for OSA in Canada. Comorbidities, menopause and systemic inflammation, more than age, explain increased OSA prevalence. Considering this high prevalence and associations with medical and mental comorbidities, health care practitioners should incorporate systematic OSA screening in their clinical procedures.