That strong snore that keeps you up at night could be more than a noisy annoyance: it could be an early warning sign of a dangerous one hypertension.
Snoring could be a sign of hypertension
New research from sleep experts at Flinders University has found that people, particularly overweight middle-aged men, who regularly snore at night are more likely to have high blood pressure and uncontrolled hypertension.
The study, “Regular snoring is associated with uncontrolled hypertension,” published in npj Digital Medicine, is the largest objective study and the first to use multiple overnight home monitoring technologies over a prolonged period to explore the association between snoring and hypertension .
“For the first time we can say objectively that there is a significant connection between regular nighttime snoring and high blood pressure,” says lead author Dr. Bastien Lech of the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) and College of Medicine and Public Health .
“We found that 15% of all study participants, who were primarily overweight men, snore on average more than 20% of the night, and that this regular nighttime snoring is associated with high blood pressure and uncontrolled hypertension,” says the Dr. Lechat.
“These findings highlight the importance of considering snoring as a factor in health care and treatment of sleep-related problems, especially in the context of hypertension management.”
Snoring is a common occurrence, affecting a large percentage of the population and is often underestimated in terms of its negative health implications. Snoring and sleep apnea often overlap, indicating shared common causes.
We observed that in those who snored regularly the risk of having uncontrolled hypertension was almost double. This risk was almost doubled again in people who snored regularly and suffered from sleep apnea compared to those who did not snore regularly,” says Professor Danny Eckert, Director of Sleep. Health at Flinders University and senior author of the paper.
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Snoring alone can also serve as an early warning sign of hypertension, as poor sleep quality due to snoring can worsen the risk of hypertension.
Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure over a long period of time. It can lead to serious health problems such as heart failure, stroke, heart or kidney disease.
The study used sleep monitoring data collected from an under-mattress sensor to detect snoring and sleep apnea, along with an FDA-registered home blood pressure monitor in more than 12,000 participants worldwide over a period of nine months.
“This is the largest study to date investigating potential relationships between snoring, sleep apnea, and hypertension using objective assessments in people’s homes, and reveals important information about the potential consequences of snoring on hypertension risk,” says Dr. Lechat .
“It also highlights the need to consider snoring as part of clinical care and management of sleep problems, particularly in the context of hypertension management.
“The results of this study pave the way for further investigating whether therapeutic interventions directed at snoring can reduce hypertension and reduce the risks associated with it,” he adds.
If you experience snoring along with signs of inadequate sleep, excessive sleepiness, or trouble breathing during sleep, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor or a specialist who may recommend a sleep study.
Women underestimate the prevalence and intensity of their snoring
A study of adults referred for evaluation of a suspected sleep disorder suggests that women tend to underreport snoring and underestimate its volume.
The results show that objectively measured snoring was found in 88% of women (591 of 675), but only 72% reported snoring (496 of 675). In contrast, objective snoring (92.6%) and self-reported snoring (93.1%) were nearly identical in men. The study also found that women snored just as loudly as men, with an average maximum snoring intensity of 50 decibels among women and 51.7 decibels among men. About 49% of women had severe or very severe snoring (329 of 675), but only 40% of women rated their snoring at this level of severity (269 of 675).
“We found that although there was no difference in snoring intensity between the sexes, women tended to underreport the fact that they snore and to underestimate the loudness of their snoring,” said Nimrod Maimon, MD, MHA, principal investigator and professor at the Faculty of BGU. of Health Sciences and head of Internal Medicine (Department B) at the Soroka University Medical Center in Be’er Sheva, Israel. “Women reported snoring less often and described it as milder.”
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The study results are published in the March 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
Snoring is a breathing sound generated in the upper airways during sleep. The intensity of snoring can vary and will often disturb your bed partner’s sleep. Snoring is a common warning sign for obstructive sleep apnea, a chronic disease that involves repeated collapse of the upper airway during sleep.
The study involved 1,913 patients who were referred to a sleep disorders center at a university hospital for a sleep evaluation. They had an average age of 49 years. Participants were given a questionnaire asking them to rate the severity of their snoring. Objective snoring loudness was quantified using a calibrated digital sound detection meter during an all-night sleep study. Snoring intensity was classified as mild (40-45 decibels), moderate (45-55 decibels), severe (55-60 decibels), or very severe (60 decibels or more).
According to the authors, there is a social stigma associated with snoring among women. Therefore, women may not reliably answer questions about snoring, which may contribute to the underdiagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in women.
“The fact that women report snoring less often and describe it as milder may be one of the barriers preventing women from reaching sleep clinics for a sleep study,” Maimon said.
Maimon added that health care providers screening women for suspected obstructive sleep apnea should consider factors other than self-reported snoring. For example, women with sleep apnea may be more likely than men to report other symptoms such as daytime fatigue or tiredness.
Snoring in children can affect their health
Usually children snore from time to time and this is often harmless. But children who snore frequently and have trouble breathing during sleep are at greater risk of having difficulty concentrating and learning disabilities. A study just published by the Sahlgrenska Academy shows that many parents of children who snore are unaware of the possible risks associated with frequent snoring in children.
Periodic snoring in children is not unusual. But when snoring becomes persistent and the child experiences sleep apnea, the quality of sleep suffers. This, in turn, can lead to problems with daytime tiredness, difficulty concentrating and learning, nocturnal enuresis and growth retardation.
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A study on a Swedish population, which analyzed the occurrence of snoring and sleep apnea in 1300 children aged between 0 and 11 years, found that approximately 5% of the children examined snored several times a week. Despite pronounced snoring, only about a third of snoring children turned to a doctor to solve their problem.
“Children who snore persistently often have a reduced quality of life. This especially applies to children who suffer from sleep apnea,” explains Gunnhildur Gudnadottir, researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy.
“The study shows that there is little awareness of the negative effects of sleep-disordered breathing on children’s health and that most parents are unaware that this is something that should be studied. An obvious finding of the study is that we need to consider how parents are doing with information about the condition and where they can seek help,” says Gunnhildur Gudnadottir.
The most common reason why children snore is enlarged tonsils or adenoids. In these cases, snoring can often be cured or reduced with surgery.
The Gothenburg researchers’ advice is that children with severe recurrent snoring and sleep apnea should seek medical attention at a health center.
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