Discovering a link between regular snoring and a life-threatening health risk

The loud snoring that keeps you awake at night may be more than just a loud annoyance - it could be an early warning sign of dangerous high blood pressure, researchers report.

A study by sleep experts at Flinders University found that individuals, especially overweight middle-aged men, who snore regularly at night, are more likely to have high blood pressure and uncontrolled hypertension.

The study, published in npj Digital Medicine, is the largest objective study and the first to use multiple night-time home monitoring techniques over a long period to explore the relationship between snoring and high blood pressure.

“For the first time, we can objectively say that there is a significant relationship between regular night snoring and high blood pressure,” says lead author of the study, Dr Bastian Lechat, from the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) and School of Medicine and Public Health.

“We found that 15% of all study participants, who were primarily overweight men, snored more than 20% of the night on average, and that this regular nighttime snoring was associated with higher blood pressure and uncontrolled hypertension,” Lechat explains. .

He added: "These results underscore the importance of considering snoring as a factor in health care and treating sleep-related problems, especially in the context of managing high blood pressure."

Snoring is common, affects a large percentage of the population, and is often underestimated in terms of its negative health effects. Snoring and sleep apnea often overlap.

Professor Danny Eckert, Director of Sleep Health at Flinders University, and senior author of the study, says: “We observed that in those who snored regularly, the risk of developing uncontrolled high blood pressure was almost double. This risk was almost doubled again in those who snored regularly.” "They suffer from sleep apnea versus those who don't snore regularly."

Snoring alone may serve as an early warning sign of high blood pressure, as poor sleep quality due to snoring may exacerbate the risk of high blood pressure.

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 disease, or kidney disease.

The study used sleep tracking data collected by an under-mattress sensor to detect snoring and sleep apnea, along with a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-registered home blood pressure monitor in more than 12,000 participants globally over a nine-month period.

“This is the largest study to date investigating the potential relationships between snoring, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure using objective assessments in people's homes, and reveals important insights into the potential consequences of snoring on the risk of high blood pressure,” says Dr. Lechat. Consider snoring as part of the clinical care and management of sleep problems, especially in the context of managing hypertension."

He adds: "The results of this study pave the way for further investigation into whether therapeutic interventions directed at snoring can reduce high blood pressure and reduce its associated risks."

If you suffer from snoring with signs of insufficient sleep, excessive sleepiness or noticeable breathing problems during sleep, it is recommended to have a conversation with your doctor or a specialist who may recommend a sleep study.