Snoring and High Blood Pressure
Numerous research articles make the link between high blood pressure (hypertension) and obstructive sleep apnea.
It is, therefore, easy to jump to the conclusion that the underlying link is actually between being overweight or obese (whether it be mild, moderate or severe) and hypertensive.
This is because obesity with raised blood pressure has been a highly studied and well-documented relationship.
The link between obesity and sleep apnea is also well established.
In a five-year study, involving 1,741 people ranging in age from 20 to 100 years, researchers found that the people with moderate to severe sleep disordered breathing were seven times more likely to develop hypertension, compared with people that had no sleep associated breathing problems.
Even after adjustments were made for confounding factors, such as age, weight and gender, researchers were still able to clearly establish a link between sleep disordered breathing and high blood pressure.
Furthermore, the study team report that the strength of the association was strongest in the young, especially those of normal weight.
Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Between 15 and 20 million Americans are thought to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a breathing disorder characterized by a delayed or missed breath, often followed by a gasping breath during sleep.
This type of sleep apnea is almost always accompanied by snoring.
In view of the above findings, physicians should consider the possibility of elevated blood pressure in the presence of any sleep disordered breathing.
This includes snoring, even if obstructive sleep apnea is not present.
It is, therefore, easy to jump to the conclusion that the underlying link is actually between being overweight or obese (whether it be mild, moderate or severe) and hypertensive.
This is because obesity with raised blood pressure has been a highly studied and well-documented relationship.
The link between obesity and sleep apnea is also well established.
In a five-year study, involving 1,741 people ranging in age from 20 to 100 years, researchers found that the people with moderate to severe sleep disordered breathing were seven times more likely to develop hypertension, compared with people that had no sleep associated breathing problems.
Even after adjustments were made for confounding factors, such as age, weight and gender, researchers were still able to clearly establish a link between sleep disordered breathing and high blood pressure.
Furthermore, the study team report that the strength of the association was strongest in the young, especially those of normal weight.
Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Between 15 and 20 million Americans are thought to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a breathing disorder characterized by a delayed or missed breath, often followed by a gasping breath during sleep.
This type of sleep apnea is almost always accompanied by snoring.
In view of the above findings, physicians should consider the possibility of elevated blood pressure in the presence of any sleep disordered breathing.
This includes snoring, even if obstructive sleep apnea is not present.
