Yet the relationship between snoring and heart disease (and stroke) is quite real, although it’s less direct than the headline indicates.

The fact is that many people who snore have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disorder in which breathing is interrupted briefly but repeatedly during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea has been linked to high blood pressure, or hypertension, which, in turn, is associated with heart disease and stroke.

When breathing is interrupted, the oxygen level in the body falls. David Cohn, MD, Medical Director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Hunterdon Medical Center, explains: “The sleeping brain has to make a choice: continued sleep or more oxygen. Fortunately, it knows what is best for us so it sends chemical signals out to stimulate awakening, which briefly restores normal breathing. Unfortunately, the same chemicals stimulate the heart, constrict blood vessels and raise blood pressure.”

Even when a person with sleep apnea breathes normally during waking hours, high blood pressure persists, and that’s a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

“We now know that untreated obstructive sleep apnea is a major cause of high blood pressure,” said Dr. Cohn. “Not only that, the elevation in blood pressure can be difficult to control with medication unless the underlying sleep apnea is treated.”

The good news is that obstructive sleep apnea can be treated. When a patient is diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and uses a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to keep air flowing during sleep, the risk of hypertension is reduced, not only when asleep but also during waking hours.

There are many contributing factors to stroke and heart attack. Some of these factors are not changeable, but factors such as high blood pressure and sleep apnea are treatable and should be treated aggressively.

Definition: breathing interrupted briefly and repeatedly during sleep when muscles in the back of the throat fail to keep the airway open despite efforts to breathe

Risk factors: overweight; large neck size; smoking and alcohol use; age 40 or older; and/or race/ethnicity (African Americans, Pacific Islanders, Hispanics)

Symptoms: breathing stops during sleep (often noticed by a bed partner); chronic snoring; excessive sleepiness during waking hours; difficulty concentrating; irritability; learning and memory difficulties

Diagnosis and treatment: Call 908-788-6392 for an appointment with a sleep specialist. You may be scheduled for an overnight sleep study. If diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, you may be prescribed a CPAP machine to wear while you sleep.