Loud snoring, which 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 conducted by sleep experts at Flinders University in Australia found that individuals, especially overweight middle-aged men, who snore regularly at night, are more likely to have 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 Dr Bastian Lechat, lead author of the study from Flinders University Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) and School of Medicine and Public Health.
“We found that 15 percent of all study participants, who were primarily overweight men, snored more than 20 percent of the night on average, and that this regular night snoring was associated with higher blood pressure,” Lechat explains. “It is important to consider snoring as a factor in health care and the treatment of sleep-related problems, especially in the context of managing high blood pressure.”
“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 the risks associated with it,” Lechat said.
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, and snoring alone may serve as an early warning sign of high blood pressure, as poor sleep quality is due to snoring. May worsen the risk of high blood pressure.