Snoring : Blacks At Higher Apnoea Risk
Obstructive sleep apnoea - characterised by loud snoring, interrupted breathing and multiple nighttime awakenings - is more than a nuisance. It can be a real threat to health, due to its links to obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Almost 80 percent of blacks have common signs of obstructive sleep apnoea, while only 55 percent of whites do, according to a study presented at the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery annual meeting, which began Sunday in Los Angeles.
“Here you have a population that’s at far greater risk to have the problem, and that’s more likely to be adversely affected by sequelae of the disease, like hypertension and obesity,” said Dr Michael Friedman, chairman of head and neck surgery at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Centre in Chicago. On top of that, “they’re less likely to get the treatment they need,” he said.
Friedman said that it’s important to identify sleep apnoea early on, because there are more treatment options available at that stage.
Only 18 percent of blacks said they had ever left the bedroom due to spousal snoring, while 30 percent of white spouses said they had done so. When asked if snoring was “normal,” 32 percent of blacks said it was compared to just 19 percent of whites.
“Obviously, there is less of a sensation that [sleep apnoea] needs to be addressed or treated” among blacks, said Friedman.
“One of the main reasons people come in for treatment is because of the snoring, and their partner complaining about the snoring,” noted Dr Kelvin Lee, director of the division of general otolaryngology and sleep surgery at the New York University Medical Centre.
“From this study, it appears that in the black community there isn’t a perception of snoring being a problem. That’s a big opportunity for outreach and education,” he said.
Lee said his only real issue with this study was that people were diagnosed with sleep apnoea using the OSA score, rather than traditionally recognized sleep studies.
Snoring can be a serious problem
Both Friedman and Lee said it’s important for people to realise that sleep apnoea can be a serious problem, and the sooner it’s treated, the better.
“This is not something where you’re going to die tomorrow, but it puts such a strain on the system, it can give you high blood pressure and heart trouble because your body has to compensate. It’s dangerous to have sleep apnoea long-term. You’re probably more likely to die earlier if you don’t treat it,” said Lee.
Friedman said that, along with getting a sleep study to diagnose sleep apnoea, it’s a good idea to also see an otolaryngologist for a full range of treatment options.
(info from HealthDayNews)