Uncontrolled Hypertension Linked to Snoring

Researchers in Australia have found that frequent snoring increases the likelihood of high blood pressure.

Regular snoring is associated with increased blood pressure and a higher risk of uncontrolled hypertension as discovered by research from Flinders University in Australia ().

Hypertension occurs when the pressure in a person's blood vessels is too high. It can cause serious damage to the heart and lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and heart disease.

Simple, Top Ways to Stop Snoring
Snoring is the audible sound generated by air vibrations in the narrow air passage of the nose, mouth, or throat. Here are top tips to stop snoring.

‘Did You Know?
High blood pressure affects 1.28 billion adults worldwide, but only half of them are diagnosed or treated. #snoring #hypertension #sleep’

Blood pressure is recorded in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) as two numbers such as 120/80. The first number - the systolic blood pressure - measures the pressure in the arteries as the heart pumps out blood and the second - diastolic blood pressure - is the pressure as the heart relaxes before the next beat.

The study found that 15 percent of 12,287 participants snored for more than 20 percent of the night on average over a six-month monitoring period and that those with high snoring levels had a 3.8 mmHg higher systolic blood pressure and 4.5 mmHg higher diastolic blood pressure than participants who did not snore.

The Sleep Habit Affecting Your Heart Health

The Flinders University study was the first to use multiple night home-based monitoring technologies over a prolonged period to investigate the link between snoring and hypertension.

Snoring Symptom Evaluation
People, who normally do not snore, tend to do so after a bout of drinking, viral infections or after taking certain medications.

Participants in the study were middle-aged and 88 percent were male."For the first time, we can objectively say that there is a significant connection between regular nighttime snoring and high blood pressure," Bastien Lechat, lead author of the research from the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University, said in a media release on Wednesday.

"These results emphasize the significance of considering snoring as a factor in healthcare and treatment for sleep-related issues, especially in the context of managing hypertension."

Snoring
Turbulent airflow causes tissues of the nose and throat to vibrate and the noise produced by these vibrations is called snoring.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.28 billion adults aged 30-79 years worldwide have hypertension and that 46 percent of adults with hypertension are unaware they have the condition.

Post-Nasal Drip
Post-nasal drip occurs as dripping of the excessive mucus from the nasal mucosa caused by allergy or infection. Post-nasal drip can cause bad breath and snoring.

Reference:

Regular snoring is associated with uncontrolled hypertension - (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-024-01026-7)

Source-IANS