Relationship between Snoring and Lifestyle-related Diseases among a Japanese Occupational Population

OBJECTIVE: Snoring is a common physical condition in active workers. However, the link between snoring and health problems is poorly understood. Therefore, the prevalence of snoring in Japanese workers and the relationships between snoring and lifestyle-related diseases were investigated. METHODS: This was a retrospective, single-center, cross-sectional study. The results of a single year's medical examinations were investigated for 25,141 Japanese active office workers 20 to 59 years old. The presence and duration of snoring were investigated using a personal computer at a medical interview before the medical checkup. The snoring frequency was investigated for each gender. In addition, the relationships between snoring and hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia were also analyzed. RESULTS: Men (21,774) were a mean 46±6 years old with a snoring prevalence of 43%. Women (3,367) were a mean 46±6 years old with a snoring prevalence of 20%. In men, snoring was an independent comorbid factor of hypertension and dyslipidemia. In particular, a long snoring vintage (multiple years) was an independent comorbid factor for hypertension [odds ratio (OR), 1.14; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05-1.24; p=0.002; and OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.07-1.34; p=0.001]. In women, snoring was not an independent comorbid factor for lifestyle-related diseases when adjusted for the age and body mass index. CONCLUSION: Snoring was shown to be a frequent pathophysiology in active workers. It was a health indicator for active workers, and especially in men, intervention for snoring may reduce the risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases.