Snoring could predict future health risks – study
28-02-2013
Snoring has been revealed as a potential contributor to heart disease, according to recent findings from a US study. The noisy night-time respiration has long been known as possible indicator of sleep apnoea and the various health issues linked to that particular sleep disorder, but researchers at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit have found that snoring can also cause a thickening of the lining of the carotid artery. Such a development can lead to atherosclerosis and a number of vascular diseases. While the harmful effects of sleep apnoea are largely related to the frequent pausing of the body’s oxygen intake, it is believed that the trauma and inflammation from the vibration of snoring is related to the carotid artery changes.
“Snoring is more than a bedtime annoyance and it shouldn’t be ignored,” said Dr. Robert Deeb, from Henry Ford Hospital. “”Patients need to seek treatment in the same way they would if they had sleep apnoea, high blood pressure or other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.”
The results of the study were presented at the 2013 Combined Sections Meeting of the Triological Society.
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