Heavy snorer disease: from snoring to the sleep apnea syndrome--an overview.

This short review discusses the clinical, pathophysiological and epidemiological aspects of heavy snorer disease. Snoring and obstructive apneas constitute the end points of the same syndrome, i.e. an enhancement in upper airway resistance during sleep. Obstructive apneas, and possibly snoring, are risk factors of chronic arterial hypertension.