Conducted by Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, the research
studied the medical records of 913 patients on their snoring habits who were
evaluated by the hospital’s sleep center from December, 2006 to January, 2012. Out of the 913, 54 patients completed the
researchers’ snoring study and underwent a carotid artery duplex ultrasound,
measuring the intima-media thickness of the arteries to detect and monitor the
progression of atherosclerosis. Since
none of the patients had obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), research results led
the study authors, Drs. Robert Deeb, M.D. and Kathleen Yeremchuk, M.D., to
believe that the risk of cardiovascular disease caused by snoring is a prelude
to OSA, contrary to previous belief that OSA leads to the risk of
cardiovascular disease.
When given the carotid artery ultrasound, snoring patients
were found to have greater intima-media thickness than non-snorers. The swelling in artery wall thickness,
theorized the researchers, was most likely caused by trauma from the vibration
in the throat from snoring. As a message
to cardiologists to annotate the occurrence of snoring in their cardiology EMR,
the authors of the study warn that the noisy sleep habit should no longer be
shrugged off. “Snoring is
generally regarded as a cosmetic issue by health insurance, requiring
significant out-of-pocket expenses by patients. We’re hoping to change that
thinking so patients can get the early treatment they need, before more serious
health issues arise,” says Dr. Deeb.
