Heavy snoring not only keeps you (and no doubt, your partner) awake at night – it could increase your risk of developing cancer, too.
A team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health have given us something to have nightmares over after they discovered that people who snore heavily at night could have untreated ‘sleep disordered breathing’ (SDB) - meaning they could be five times more likely to develop cancer than people who sleep soundly.
Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is a term that describes a group of disorders characterised by abnormalities of respiratory pattern (pauses in breathing).
The most common SDB is obstructive sleep apnea (abnormal low breathing) caused by a physical block to the airflow during the breathing cycle, forcing the sufferer to suddenly wake up. Symptoms of sleep apnea include extremely loud snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness and morning headaches.
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The 22-year study of more than 1,500 people discovered that those with severe SDB were 4.8 times more likely to develop cancer. Moderate SDB sufferers were at double the risk of developing cancer.
“Ours is the first study to show an association between SDB and an elevated risk of cancer mortality in a population-based sample,” lead researcher Dr Javier Nieto said in a statement.
Scientists from the study are pointing the blame at low blood oxygen levels (known as intermittent hypoxia) after discovering a significant result in lab mice.
Blood oxygen levels dip during periods of severe sleep apnea as the body struggles to get enough oxygen. When scientists investigated the effect of low blood oxygen and cancer tumour growth in mice, they discovered that lack of oxygen to the blood stimulates the generation of blood vessels that feed malignant tumours.
Researchers believe low blood oxygen levels could have the same effect on humans.
"The consistency of the evidence from the animal experiments and this new epidemiologic evidence in humans is highly compelling,” adds Dr Nieto.
"Clearly, there is a correlation, and we are a long way from proving that sleep apnea causes cancer or contributes to its growth.
"But animal studies have shown that the intermittent hypoxia (an inadequate supply of oxygen) that characterises sleep apnea promotes angiogenesis - increased vascular growth - and tumour growth. Our results suggest that SDB is also associated with an increased risk of cancer mortality in humans."
Sleep apnea has previously been linked to other health problems, such as increased risk of stroke, cardiovascular and heart disease and fatigue.
It’s estimated that around 42% of the UK snore at night, which amounts to 15 million snorers.
Snoring is a coarse sound made by vibrations of the soft palate and other tissues of the mouth, nose and throat (upper airway). It is caused by a partial blockage of the upper airway.
If you suffer from snoring or sleep apnea, take this test to find out how to stop snoring at night.