SNORING, SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK-FACTORS IN A 70YEAR-OLD POPULATION

In order to describe the relation between snoring, cardiovascular risk factors, metabolic factors and sympathetitic activity, 804 70-year-ol d males and females were classified according to snoring habits and li fe-style factors (alcohol and tobacco consumption), blood pressure, bo dy mass index (BMI), plasma lipids (triglycerides, cholesterol, high d ensity lipoprotein), plasma catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrin e), fasting blood glucose and glucose tolerance test (1 gram glucose p er kg body weight given and blood glucose was measured 1 and 2 hours t hereafter) were evaluated in all participants. Self-reported snoring w as associated with gender (males showed higher prevalence than females , p < 0.05), alcohol consumption (p < 0.01), BMI (p < 0.001), systolic (p < 0.01) and diastolic (p < 0.05) blood pressure, glucose tolerance test (p < 0.01), plasma norepinephrine (p < 0.05) and partly with tob acco consumption (p = 0.08). No associations were found between snorin g and fasting glucose, plasma lipids, plasma epinephrine or in the use of antihypertensive medication. In multivariate analysis, with forced entry of gender, BMI, physical activity, alcohol and tobacco consumpt ion, the relation between snoring and blood pressure ceased; only syst olic blood pressure was associated with snoring (p < 0.05). Snoring wa s still associated with plasma norepinephrine (p < 0.001) and abnormal glucose tolerance (p < 0.001). We conclude that, in a 70-year-old pop ulation, snoring is associated with gender, BMI and alcohol consumptio n. Snores showed higher plasma norepinephrine and abnormal glucose tol erance.