New research shows that people who snore in their sleep may be more susceptible to getting cancer. However, the reason is not due to their weight, smoking or other health conditions, rather something related to the lack of oxygen these people get during the night, according to DailyMail.
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Obstructive sleep apnoea
An estimated 1.5 million people in the UK and 22 million in the US suffer from Sleep Apnoea (OSA) – interrupted breathing during the night – causing one to snore. Previous studies have linked this condition with a decline in brain power and blood clots.
In this new research, a team of Swedish researchers analysed data from 4,200 patients who had the obstructive form of sleep apnoea, half of whom had been diagnosed with cancer in the past five years.
The scientists then went on to measure how severe their OSA is using two tests; measuring the number of breathing disturbances during sleep; and the number of times oxygen levels in the blood fell by 3 % for at least 10 seconds per hour.
Findings
Analysing the results, the researchers found that patients with cancer tended to have more interruptions during their sleep. Presenting the findings at a medical conference in Barcelona, lead researcher, Dr Andreas Palm, although it has already been established that patients with OSA had an increased risk of cancer, their study adds another layer to this knowledge.
It has not been clear whether or not this is due to the OSA itself or to related risk factors for cancer, such as obesity, cardio metabolic disease and lifestyle factors. Our findings show that oxygen deprivation due to OSA is independently associated with cancer.
However, the scientists say more research is needed in the area since their work was mainly observational, lacking substantial proof that apnoea causes cancer. One thing that the study did not take into account was the level of physical activity among patients, a key factor influencing cancer.
Read more:
⋙ Mouth taping for sleep: This unusual technique could help you stop snoring
⋙ 6 Tricks To Finally Get Your Partner To Stop Snoring
⋙ Report shows increase in cancer cases among people below 50 years
