For Heavy Snorers, Artery Concerns

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, Canada and Europe - killing one person every 34 seconds. The general notion is that it is caused primarily by a diet rich in fats and a sedentary lifestyle. However, recent studies have shown additional risk factors that contribute to narrowing of the arteries - risk factors that can be easily eliminated with little or no effort at all.

“Smoking, high cholesterol, hypertension and obesity are among the known risk factors for carotid artery stenosis, the narrowing of the arteries that supply the brain with blood, and whose blockage can lead to stroke. Now researchers may have found a new risk: heavy snoring.After controlling for sex, body mass index, smoking, hypertension and other factors, they calculated that the risk for carotid artery narrowing among the heaviest snorers was 10 times the risk among those who snored the least.

…the authors write that the vibrations of snoring may cause damage to the epithelium, the cells that line the inside of the artery, leading to inflammation and plaque buildup.”

Eventually, the plaque buildup prevents sufficient oxygen from reaching the brain, thus causing a stroke. Complications can arise along the way and lead to numerous other life-threatening situations like cardiac arrest. Simply by learning how to stop snoring, you can lead a healthier life, free from heart disease - the number one killer in the world.

For the full story: For Heavy Snorers, Artery Concerns

An Ugly Pair, Asleep and Awake

If you suffer from frequent headaches, the first thing that comes to mind are factors such as stress and a poor work environment. However, a recent study has shown that your nighttime snoring could very well be the cause of it.

Habitual snoring and chronic headaches appear to go together, according to a study released yesterday…In the headache group, 24 percent said they always snored, compared with 14 percent of the other group. When the figures were adjusted for factors like body weight and alcohol use, people with chronic headaches were more than twice as likely to be habitual snorers, the study said.

VITAL SIGNS: PATTERNS; An Ugly Pair, Asleep and Awake

Snoring Associated With Sleep Apnea May Impair Brain Function More Than Previously Thought

If you haven’t already found out, snoring associated with sleep apnea has been linked to learning impairment, stroke and premature death. Researches from the University of New South Wales have discovered that sleep apnea might impair brain function more than previously thought.

Researchers have found that sufferers of obstructive sleep apnea experience similar changes in brain biochemistry as people who have had a severe stroke or who are dying, the research shows.

“It used to be thought that apneic snoring had absolutely no acute effects on brain function but this is plainly not true,” said lead author of the study, New South Global Professor Caroline Rae.

Sleep apnea affects as many as one in four middle-aged men, with around three percent going on to experience a severe form of the condition characterised by extended pauses in breathing, repetitive asphyxia and sleep fragmentation.

Children with enlarged tonsils and adenoids are also affected, raising concerns of long-term cognitive damage.

“The findings show that lack of oxygen while asleep may be far more detrimental than when awake, possibly because the normal compensatory mechanisms don’t work as well when you are asleep,” Professor Rae, who is based at the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, said.

“This is happening in someone with sleep apnea acutely and continually when they are asleep. It’s a completely different biochemical mechanism from anything we’ve seen before and is similar to what you see in somebody who has had a very severe stroke or is dying.”

The findings suggested societal perceptions of snoring needed to change, Professor Rae said. More importantly, Professor Rae highlights a very important point: “People look at people snoring and think it’s funny. That has to stop.”

For the full report: Snoring associated with Sleep Apnea