A comprehensive sleep study has identified a widespread nighttime habit that could signal a more serious underlying issue.
In the United States, approximately 45 percent of adults experience this nocturnal phenomenon, affecting around 90 million Americans. According to Yale Medicine, 25 percent of these individuals engage in it regularly.
This common habit can be quite bothersome, not just for partners or family members who share the space, but also for the individuals themselves, who may be disrupted from their sleep and thus find it challenging to achieve quality rest.
We are referring to snoring, a prevalent nighttime activity that, beyond being a source of irritation, has been linked in a new study to potential health risks.
The research, the largest of its kind with 12,000 global participants, indicates that frequent snorers, especially overweight middle-aged men, are at a higher risk of developing elevated blood pressure and hypertension, as reported by The Mirror.
The Mayo Clinic highlights that high blood pressure impacts the arteries by increasing the force of blood against the artery walls, thus compelling the heart to exert more effort in circulating blood.
Hypertension, characterized by persistently high blood pressure, can lead to severe health issues such as heart failure, stroke, heart disease, or kidney disease.
This study, carried out by sleep specialists at Flinders University, is a pioneer in employing home-based monitoring technology, notably ‘sleep trackers’ placed under mattresses, over an extended period of nine months to explore the potential connection between snoring and hypertension.
Dr. Bastien Lechat, the lead author from the College of Medicine and Public Health, stated: “For the first time, we can objectively say that there is a significant connection between regular nighttime snoring and high blood pressure.”
“We found that 15 percent of all participants in the study, who were primarily overweight men, snore for more than 20 percent of the night on average and that this regular nightly snoring is associated with elevated blood pressure and uncontrolled hypertension.
“These results emphasise the significance of considering snoring as a factor in healthcare and treatment for sleep-related issues, especially in the context of managing hypertension.”
Professor Danny Eckert, who directs Sleep Health at Flinders University and is the senior author of the study, also noted: “We observed that in those who snore regularly, the risk of having uncontrolled hypertension was almost double. This risk almost doubled again in people who snored regularly and had sleep apnoea versus those who did not snore regularly,” as reported by SurreyLive.
Dr. Lechat further explained: “This is the largest study to date investigating the potential relationships between snoring, sleep apnoea, and hypertension using objective assessments in people’s homes, and it reveals important insights into the potential consequences of snoring on hypertension risk.”
“The findings of this study pave the way to further investigate whether therapeutic interventions directed toward snoring can reduce hypertension and reduce the risks associated with it.”