A study published in the journal npj Digital Medicine, has revealed a significant link between regular snoring and uncontrolled hypertension. The research sheds new light on the potential health risks of snoring beyond its common perception as a mere nuisance.
Snoring and Hypertension: Key Findings
The research, which utilized advanced home-based monitoring technologies, including a sleep sensor placed under mattresses and a home-based blood pressure monitor, involved a cohort of 12,287 participants. The average participant was 50 years old, overweight (with a body mass index of 28 kg/m2), and predominantly male (nearly 90%). The study found that individuals who snored for longer durations at night exhibited higher diastolic and systolic blood pressure by an average of 3-4 mmHg. Notably, the effect of snoring on blood pressure was significant even in the absence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition commonly associated with snoring.
The implications of these findings are profound, suggesting that snoring, independent of OSA, may be a risk factor for hypertension. This association was particularly strong among individuals under 50 years old with a normal body mass index, who showed a 98% increase in the likelihood of hypertension if they snored.
Implications on High Blood Pressure Management
This study challenges the conventional understanding of snoring as a benign or solely cosmetic issue, positioning it instead as a potential indicator of more serious health conditions like uncontrolled hypertension. The authors recommend incorporating snoring into the clinical care of patients with sleep-related problems and hypertension, emphasizing the need for a systematic and objective assessment of snoring in medical practice.
The findings also highlight the limitations of previous research, which often relied on self-reported snoring data or short-term observations, and underscore the importance of using objective, long-term monitoring technologies to assess health risks associated with snoring.
While the study presents compelling evidence of the link between snoring and hypertension, the authors acknowledge certain limitations, including the lack of assessment for confounding factors such as alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine use, diet, medications, and exercise. Additionally, the study’s findings, derived from a predominantly male, obese, and middle-aged population, may not be generalizable to other demographic groups.
