THE BAROREFLEX IN SNORING AND THE OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNOEA HYPOPNOEA SYNDROME

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The obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) refers to a condition in which throat blockage occurs during sleep leading to breathing difficulties, including snoring and cessation of breathing for short periods of time. OSAHS is amongst the commonest of chronic disorders of adult males, occuring in 5% of men over the age of 45 years. It is now recognised that one of the major complications of OSAHS is the development of high blood pressure and heart disease. In the proposed studies, we will examine the proposal that snoring alone, without significant associated OSAHS, can also lead to high blood pressure in habitual snorers both awake and asleep. In particular, we will explore the hypothesis that chronic snoring transmits a pressure wave through the tissues of the neck to the carotid artery which is the main blood supply to the brain. We propose that the chronic vibration of this artery can alter pressure sensors in the artery wall, which then results in the persistance of high blood pressure. Our studies will help to prove that this is a mechanism whereby both snoring and OSAHS may contribute to the development of high blood pressure. The recognition of snoring as an independent risk factor for high blood pressure will clearly have important and wide ranging implications for the future management of snoring in the prevention of high blood pressure.