Non-snoring Group Research Articles

Snoring and myocardial infarction: a 4-year follow-up study

The association between snoring and myocardial infarction was studied in 1453 people of both sexes aged 20–70 years. The study was carried out in a population of 92 364 residents and the subjects were recruited using the Electoral Census. A questionnaire was sent to all participants, asking about snoring and cardiovascular risk factors. Hospital records were checked for the next 4 years to establish how many of them developed myocardial infarction. At the beginning of the follow-up study 39 patients were diagnosed with ischemic heart disease. Of the other 1414 participants, 571 (40·4%) were snorers and 843 (59·6%) non-snorers. Twenty-one developed myocardial infarction in the snorer group and four in the non-snorer group. The snorer group presents an adjusted relative risk of myocardial infarction of 3·08 (95% CI 1·01–9·46) with respect to non-snorers. We conclude that snoring seems to be a potential risk factor for myocardial infarction.

The value of sedation nasendoscopy: a comparison between snoring and non-snoring patients.

Sedation or sleep nasendoscopy is a widely-used investigation in snorers presenting to otolaryngologists in the UK, despite its non-physiological basis. The presence or absence of snoring and its site of generation were compared between a group of 205 snorers and another of 126 non-snorers. Snoring was produced at nasendoscopy in 45.3% of non-snorers but could not be produced in 18.1% of snorers. There was no significant difference in the site of sound production between the two groups and although the noise produced by the non-snoring group was quieter, this difference was not significant.

The epidemiology of sleep related breathing disorder in children

An epidemiological study of sleep obstruction and its orthodontic consequences is under way on a cohort (500) of 4-year-old children. The parents are asked about the child's snoring, sleep apnea, sucking habits, infections and ‘genetic clues’. Dental casts have been made from the first 100 children and the group of children who snore are being compared to the non-snorers. A sleep study, a lateral cephalogram and dental casts are done on all snorers in the cohort. Preliminary results show that 6.2% snore every night by age 4 and another 18% when infected. More children use pacifiers among the snorers than in the non-snoring group (60% vs. 35%). Tonsillar angina is 3 times more common in the snorer group and twice as many of their parents have been adenoidectomized (A) and/or tonsillectomized (T). The dental casts show a significant difference in width of the maxilla and length of the mandible. The children are treated for their breathing obstruction with A or A + T. Two years later, the same cohort will be examined again. The prevalence of snoring and sleep apnea among 4-year-olds will be known as will whether and how treatment for breathing obstruction influences facial development.