Doctors Warn: Snoring Not Normal, Raises Risk of Four Diseases
Doctors warn that snoring shouldn't be dismissed as normal, as it can signal obstructive sleep apnea and increase risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and cognitive decline. Nearly half of people screened had sleep apnea, w
Doctors are warning against dismissing snoring as normal, as it can increase the risk of four chronic diseases and identifying four at-risk groups, most commonly affecting men. Many people mistakenly believe that snoring is merely a nuisance or a sign of sound sleep, but physicians caution that this misconception may lead to missing a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which not only affects sleep quality but also increases the risk of chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease.
A case example involves Mr. Chen, age 69, who had suffered from loud snoring for a long time, disrupting his spouse's sleep. When he underwent a detailed evaluation, he was found to have moderate sleep apnea with a snoring index as high as 323.9 times per hour.
Almost half of those screened were found to have sleep apnea. The Lian An Preventive Medicine Institute analyzed home sleep test results from 879 individuals between 2019 and 2025 and found that 48% of those tested had sleep apnea, meaning nearly 1 in 2 people have breathing abnormalities during sleep, with more than half of patients at moderate to severe levels.
Long sleep duration does not equal quality sleep. Professor Cheng Nianyuan, director of the Lian An Preventive Medicine Institute, stated that many people mistakenly believe that sleeping for a long time means sufficient rest, but what truly matters is that breathing must be regular during sleep, blood oxygen levels must be adequate, and sleep structure must be intact.
Patients with obstructive sleep apnea experience repeated collapse of the upper airway, resulting in breathing pauses, shallow breathing, and oxygen deficiency. Even if sleeping for a full 8 hours, nighttime sleep disruptions prevent the body from fully recovering. The analysis also found that nearly 70% of those aged 60 and older were diagnosed with sleep apnea, more than 50% of those aged 40 and older were affected, 82% of those with a BMI greater than 24 had moderate to severe sleep apnea, and men had a detection rate as high as 76%. This data reflects that men, the elderly, and those who are overweight are at high risk.
Loud snoring may not be normal. Professor Cheng Nianyuan stated that loud and continuous snoring may signal repeated upper airway collapse during sleep. If accompanied by the following symptoms, one should undergo sleep assessment and not dismiss snoring as merely a noise disturbance: excessive daytime sleepiness, waking up feeling fatigued, high blood pressure, or obesity.
It impacts deep sleep and increases the risk of heart disease and cognitive decline. The study also found that 85% of OSA patients had insufficient deep sleep, and 72.4% had insufficient REM sleep. Deep sleep plays an important role in body repair and immune system regulation, while REM sleep is crucial for memory consolidation and emotional regulation. If both stages decline over time, the risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic abnormalities, and cognitive impairment may increase.
Data also indicated that among sleep apnea patients, 41.3% had elevated systolic blood pressure, 53.8% had elevated total cholesterol levels, and 55.8% had insulin resistance. This shows that OSA is not merely a sleep disorder but is closely linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and metabolic diseases. Doctors recommend sleep evaluation screening for those with such symptoms.
