Snoring and Your Health

Loud snoring may be linked to metabolic syndrome, a precursor to heart disease. If you snore like a jackhammer, consult your doctor.


Common sleep problems, like difficulty falling asleep and frequent loud snoring may be signs of future health conditions. According to a study in the journal SLEEP, having either sleep issue predicted the development of metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

People with metabolic syndrome have at least three of the following risk factors: high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low “good” HDL cholesterol, high blood sugar levels and abdominal obesity. While the study suggests that trouble sleeping could be a sign of metabolic syndrome, it found that snoring may actually contribute to the condition.

Being overweight, smoking, drinking, and using muscle relaxers or other drugs could be to blame. If losing weight, quitting smoking and cutting back on alcohol don’t help, talk to your doctor, who may refer you to a sleep specialist.