According to a data which was presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America Scientific Assembly, women who snore or have obstructive sleep apnea are more likely to suffer from cardiac function impairment than men. Both, obstructive sleep apnea and snoring patients, are prone to having an earlier impairment of cardiac function. What’s more, obstructive sleep apnea seems to stay undiagnosed among snorers.

Obstructive sleep apnea, one of the most common and dangerous sleep disorders, can lead to left ventricular and, more rarely, right ventricular dysfunction in the heart. This type of sleep apnea happens when the throat muscles intermittently relax and block the airway during sleep. Among other symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, such as morning headaches, gasping for air while a person sleeps, and dry mouth, one of the most common signs is loud snoring. Obstructive sleep apnea might lead to numerous severe issues, such as cardiovascular problems and complications with medications and surgery.

UK Biobank, a national and international health resource, provided data for researchers to conduct a study about cardiac function in relation to diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. This study required data from 4,877 UK Biobank participants with a cardiac MRI. The participants were divided into three groups, with obstructive sleep apnea, with snoring, and unaffected. The participants were from both genders and the research showed that the ones with obstructive sleep apnea and snoring showed an increase in left ventricular mass, meaning that the walls of the heart's main pumping chamber are enlarged, thus, making the heart work harder. Likewise, the researchers discovered that there was a significant difference in the left ventricular mass in women than in men. There was a higher risk of cardiac changed in the snorer group who had not been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea but clearly had it.

Thus, women who snore and have obstructive sleep apnea are susceptible to earlier impairment of cardiac function. The researchers were shocked to discover that obstructive sleep apnea is grossly underdiagnosed.

Hence, it’s crucial that people who snore get diagnosed for obstructive sleep apnea by undergoing home sleep testing. Depending on what causes obstructive sleep apnea, there is a suitable treatment. Usually, the patient is required to lose some weight or even use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

The researchers will continue conducting more studies in order to discover more about the gender differences associated with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.