A study has raised concerns about the long-term health risks associated with night-time snoring in people below the age of 50. According to the research, young adults who snore at night are at a higher risk of having a stroke and developing heart disease later in life, according to Independent. The findings have been presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Amsterdam.
Medical professionals are emphasising the importance of regarding snoring as a significant warning sign, particularly for this age group. The study revealed a noteworthy statistic: Young adults who snore have a 60 per cent higher likelihood of experiencing a stroke in middle age, and their risk of developing a heart rhythm disorder increases five-fold.
The study is based on the analysis of data of 766,000 adults in the United States, aged between 20 and 50. Among this group, 7,500 individuals suffered from obstructive sleep apnea - a condition characterised by breathing interruptions during sleep, leading to loud snoring and frequent awakenings due to breathing struggles.
Over the course of a 10-year follow-up period, the study established that individuals with sleep apnea faced a 60 per cent elevated risk of stroke compared to those who snored less frequently or not at all.
Why do people snore?
The Sleep Foundation said that snoring occurs when air can't flow easily through the nasal airway when a person sleeps. The airway becomes narrow or partially blocked, due to which breathing causes the tissues of the upper airway to vibrate, resulting in the snoring sound.
Apart from a sleep disorder, snoring can be caused by a person's lifestyle or habits. It can disrupt a person's sleep, which can lead to other health issues.
What have the researchers said?
Explaining the findings, the researchers said that people who are below the age of 50 and snore were five times more likely to develop atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that causes irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate.
"Sleep apnea is really common but we sort of ignore it because we think it's trivial or just a little bit of a nuisance," Independent quoted lead author Professor Sanjiv Narayan of Stanford University as saying.
"Until now no one's really shown the magnitude of the size of the risk for heart diseases. That's what really surprised us," he added.
