title: Mean tracheal sound energy during sleep is related to daytime blood pressure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The pathological role of snoring independent of obstructive sleep apnea remains under debate. The authors hypothesized that snoring sound intensity, as assessed by mean tracheal sound energy (Leq) during sleep, is related to daytime blood pressure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of clinical records and polysomnography data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sleep laboratory at a national hospital in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients who underwent diagnostic polysomnography with suspicion of sleep apnea between January 2005 and December 2009 (n = 1,118).
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Leq was calculated from tracheal sound spectra recorded every 0.2 sec during polysomnography. Daytime high blood pressure (HBP) was defined as taking antihypertensive drugs or having a systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mm Hg or a diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg at the patient's first clinical visit. Patient age, sex, body mass index, apnea-hypopnea index, alcohol consumption, and smoking were considered as confounders. Leq during sleep was associated with HBP after adjusting for all confounding factors (n = 1,074, P = 0.00019). This association was demonstrated even in nonapneic nonobese patients (n = 232, P = 0.012).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association between snoring intensity, as assessed by mean sound energy, and blood pressure suggests a pathological role for heavy snoring. Further study in a general population is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Sleep Disorders Center, Fukuoka National Hospital, Fukuoka City, Japan. nakano_h@palette.plala.or.jp
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sadamitsu
authors.forename: Shizue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwanaga
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000503:physiopathology; D012913:Snoring / Q000503:physiopathology; D014132:Trachea / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Acoustics; hypertension; sleep apnea; snoring