According to a new study to be published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, snoring may increase your risk of dying from cancer.
Using data from from sleep studies carried out on 1,522 people over 22 years, researchers found that mild snorers were 0.1 times more likely to die from cancer than those without the problem. Moderate snorers doubled their risk, while severe snorers were 4.8 times more at risk. Apparently, snoring causes oxygen starvation, which contributes to tumor growth. Earlier studies with animal subjects have already yielded similar results. Surprisingly, this risk is more apparent in non-obese participants and leaner animals.
According to Dr. Javier Nieto, who led the new study at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, their research is the first to find an association between sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and cancer mortality risk. For cancer patients, this is good news. "If the relationship between SDB and cancer mortality is validated in further studies, the diagnosis and treatment of SDB in patients with cancer might be indicated to prolong survival," says Dr. Nieto.
(Photo by Kaptain Kobold via Flickr Creative Commons)
