Snoring and carotid artery intima-media thickness

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Sleep Medicine
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Primary snoring (PS) is increasingly recognized as a potential precursor to sleep-disordered breathing.
• PS can negatively impact overall health, necessitating investigation into its associated physiological changes.
• Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is a marker for subclinical atherosclerosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between primary snoring and carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT).
• To determine if individuals with primary snoring exhibit increased IMT compared to non-snorers.
• To explore primary snoring as a potential risk factor for early carotid artery changes.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving patients aged 18-50 with an apnea-hypopnea index <5.
• Carotid artery duplex ultrasound used to measure IMT at bilateral carotid arteries.
• Snoring Outcomes Survey (SOS) categorized participants into snorers and non-snorers for comparison.

Main Results:

• Of 913 eligible patients, 54 completed both ultrasound and survey.
• Snorers demonstrated significantly greater IMT at multiple points on both left and right internal carotid arteries compared to non-snorers.
• No significant IMT differences were observed based on smoking or diabetes status.

Conclusions:

• A significant relationship exists between primary snoring and increased carotid artery IMT.
• Nonapneic snoring may represent an early stage of carotid artery intima changes.
• Further investigation into primary snoring as a precursor to cardiovascular conditions is warranted.