Prevalence and association of snoring, anthropometry and hypertension in Korea.

OBJECTIVES

There is little data on the relationships between hypertension and snoring in Asians, whose anthropometrics and prevalence of diseases are different from Western populations. This study evaluated the prevalence and the factors associated with snoring in an adult Korean population (18 years).

METHODS

The questions on snoring were divided into five Likert scales ["never" to "severe"(everyday)]. Subjects were divided into two mutually exclusive groups: moderate and severe groups of snorers considered habitual snorers, and never, sometimes and mild snorers considered the non-snoring group. We classified the severity of hypertension according to JNC 6. Independent variables included demographic and baseline characteristics, hypertension, anthropometrics, current medical history, medications and substance use.

RESULTS

Overall prevalence of habitual snoring is 15.58% in males and 8.40% in females. The mean age, body mass index (BMI), both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and anthropometric data, including neck, chest and abdominal girth, were significantly associated with the snoring group in both men and women. Neck length was only significantly shorter in females, not in males. Alcohol consumption rate was significantly higher in the snoring group of the men, but was lower in the snoring group in women. Smoking did not show any significant relationship with snoring and non-snoring groups in both genders. Snoring was significantly higher in the menopause group (odds ratio 2.8) than the premenopausal group. Fifty per cent in the snoring group and 33.08% in the non-snoring group were diagnosed as having hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in the snoring group aged<40 years and was weakly significant in those subjects aged between 40 and 60 years in males. The prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in the snoring group in those both aged<40 years and those aged between 40 and 60 years in females. Those aged>60 years old in both genders showed no significant differences in the prevalence of hypertension between snorers and non-snorers. The relationship between hypertension and snoring after adjustments for age, BMI, age, smoke and alcohol usage showed a dose-response relationship in both genders.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed the dose-response relationship between hypertension and snoring, even after adjustments for age, BMI, age, smoke and alcohol usage. Snoring significantly increased after menopause in women. Snoring had a significant relationship with neck length in females but not in males. There is a dose-response relationship between snoring and hypertension in both genders in those subjects aged<60 years old.