Chronic bronchitis may account for snoring

The new investigation shows the presence of direct association and connection of snoring with chronic bronchitis.

Photo: Chronic bronchitis may account for snoring

A group of scientist found out that snoring is more prevalent in patients with chronic bronchitis than in people without it.

5015 male and female Korean citizens aged 40 to 69 years took part in a comprehensive health examination and on-site interviews at Korea University Ansan Hospital. Of these, 4270 participants (52% men and 48% women) entered the analysis for the first 2-year follow-up from April 17, 2003, to February 20, 2005, and those who met the same inclusion criteria remained in the analysis for a second 2-year follow-up period from February 21, 2005, to November 17, 2006. The scientists collected information on snoring and identified incident cases of chronic bronchitis during a 4-year follow-up period.

As a result there were discovered 314 cases of new-onset chronic bronchitis (27.1 cases per 1000 person-years). After taking into account age, smoking, and other risk factors for chronic bronchitis, the multivariate relative risks of chronic bronchitis were 1.25 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.95-1.64) for persons snoring 5 times per week or less and 1.68 (95% CI, 1.17-2.42) for those snoring 6 to 7 times per week compared with never snorers (P for trend = .049). In analysis for the joint effect of smoking and snoring, the relative risks of chronic bronchitis were 1.39 (95% CI, 1.01-1.90) for nonsmoking and snoring, 2.31 (95% CI, 1.38-3.87) for smoking and never snoring, and 2.86 (95% CI, 1.91-4.27) for smoking and snoring compared with nonsmoking and never snoring.

So we have solid grounds to start worrying about our health if snoring has become an inseparable part of our lives.