Study finds snoring can often be a warning sign of heart disease

Snoring, in addition to being unpleasant to hear, can be an early sign that our heart is suffering. A recent study from Flinders University (Australia) published in the journal Digital Medicine NPJ indicates that snore can often be a sign hypertensionespecially in overweight middle-aged men.

This study is the most comprehensive to date and the first to use multiple imaging technologies. night monitoring at home over a long period to study the relationship between snoring and high blood pressure. “For the first time, we can say objectively that there is a significant association between habitual nighttime snoring and high blood pressure,” said Dr Bastien Lechat, lead author of the study and professor at the Flinders Health and Health Research Institute (FHMRI). .) and the Faculty of Medicine and Public Health.

“We found that 15% of all study participants, who were mostly overweight men, snored more than 20% at night average. “This regular nighttime snoring is associated with high blood pressure and uncontrolled hypertension,” explained Dr. Lechat. “These results highlight the importance of considering snoring as a factor in the health care and treatment of sleep-related problems, especially in the context of hypertension control.”

Snoring is a common phenomenon that affects a large percentage of the population and is often underestimated in terms of its negative health consequences. Moreover, snoring and Sleep apnea They often overlap, pointing to common causes. “We noticed that those who snored regularly had almost twice the risk of developing uncontrolled hypertension. This risk again almost doubled in people who snored regularly and had sleep apnea, compared with those who did not snore regularly,” continued Professor Danny Eckert, director of sleep health at Flinders University and another of the paper’s lead authors.

Another finding is that snoring itself may also be an early sign of high blood pressure because poor sleep quality Snoring may increase your risk of hypertension. Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure over a long period of time, which can lead to serious consequences. health problems for example, heart failure, stroke, heart or kidney disease.

To conduct the experiment, the scientists used sleep tracking data collected sensor under the mattress to detect snoring and sleep apnea, and a home blood pressure monitor registered by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in more than 12,000 participants worldwide over a nine-year period.

“This is the largest study to date examining the possible links between snoring, sleep apnea and hypertension through objective assessments in people’s homes, and reveals important information about possible consequences of snoring at risk of hypertension,” says Dr. Lechat. “It also highlights the need to consider snoring as part of the clinical management and management of sleep problems, particularly in the context of treating hypertension.

“The results of this study pave the way for further research into whether therapeutic interventions Controlling snoring can reduce hypertension and its associated risks,” he concludes.