INCIDENCE AND REMISSION OF HABITUAL SNORING OVER A 5-YEAR TO 6-YEAR PERIOD

Habitual snoring is associated with an increased prevalence of hyperte nsion, stroke, and ischemic heart disease, To determine factors that i nfluence the incidence and remission of habitual snoring, we analyzed responses to successive self-administered questionnaires with question s pertaining to snoring in a group of subjects participating in the Tu cson Epidemiologic Study of Obstructive Airways Disease, In this study , 1,476 subjects were surveyed 5.8 +/- 0.6 (SD) years apart. Among sub jects who habitually snored on the initial survey, 58.2% snored persis tently and 35.5% remitted on the ensuing survey, Among subjects who di d not habitually snore in the initial survey, 10.5% developed it on th e subsequent survey. In further analyses, we found that male sex, obes ity, and respiratory symptoms were significant independent risk factor s for development of habitual snoring, Age over 65 years, the absence of obesity, and the absence of respiratory symptoms were associated wi th remission of habitual snoring,