Snoring and components of metabolic syndrome in Southeastern Chinese adults: A community-based study

Snoring has been associated with a number of abnormal conditions, but little work has been done on its association with components of metabolic syndrome based on the epidemiology in Chinese adults.

This study aimed to investigate the association between snoring and components of metabolic syndrome in southeastern Chinese adults.

A two-stage, cross-sectional community-based study was performed in Fuzhou, Southeast China, from 2005 to 2009. Stage 1: 5500 subjects were administered a questionnaire. Data on self-reported snoring status, daytime somnolence, demographic data, disease histories, and potential confounders were collected and anthropometric measurements were performed. Stage 2: 1000 subjects who were already investigated underwent a blood test and measurement of blood pressure.

Data from 4286 subjects were available; 606 subjects were habitual snorers. The prevalence of overweight or obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and dyslipidemia in occasional and habitual snorers was higher than that in the study population (16.66%, 7.89%, 10.52%, and 5.81%, respectively). A significantly increasing trend based on snoring frequency existed in the prevalence of metabolic disorders. The prevalence of components of metabolic syndrome continued to be significantly associated with snoring frequency after controlling confounding factors. Odds ratios of suffering from the aforementioned conditions for occasional and habitual snorers were 1.5-2.5 (P < 0.05) and 2.4-4.8 (P < 0.001) times higher, respectively, compared with nonsnorers.

The prevalence of snoring and components of metabolic syndrome is high in southeastern Chinese adults. Both habitual and occasional snoring are closely associated with metabolic disorders independent of confounding factors.