Women who begin snoring during pregnancy are at strong risk for hypertension and preeclampsia, according to a study.
"We found that frequent snoring was playing a role in high blood pressure problems, even after we had accounted for other known risk factors," Louise O’Brien, PhD, the study’s lead author and associate professor in the University of Michigan’s Sleep Disorders Center, said in a news release. "And we already know that high blood pressure in pregnancy, particularly preeclampsia, is associated with smaller babies [and] higher risks of preterm birth or babies ending up in the ICU."
The study is believed to be the largest of its kind, with more than 1,700 participants. It is the first study to demonstrate that pregnancy-onset snoring confers significant risk to maternal cardiovascular health, according to the researchers.
Habitual snoring, the hallmark symptom of sleep-disordered breathing, was defined as snoring three to four nights a week. About 25% of women started snoring frequently during pregnancy, and this change doubled the risk for hypertension compared with non-snoring women.
The results suggest that up to 19% of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy might be mitigated through treatment of any underlying sleep-disordered breathing, O’Brien wrote.
Pregnant women can be treated for sleep-disordered breathing using continuous positive airway pressure, which involves a machine, worn during sleep, that uses mild air pressure to keep the airways open. O’Brien is conducting a study to test whether use of CPAP decreases hypertension in pregnant women.
"Hyperintensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading global cause of maternal and infant deaths and cost billions of dollars annually to treat," O’Brien said. "By asking pregnant women about snoring, especially in those with high blood pressure already, obstetric providers could identify women at high risk for sleep-disordered breathing and intervene during the pregnancy. This could result in better outcomes for mother and baby."
The study is scheduled for publication in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The study abstract is available at http://bit.ly/OgG2P5.
"We found that frequent snoring was playing a role in high blood pressure problems, even after we had accounted for other known risk factors," Louise O’Brien, PhD, the study’s lead author and associate professor in the University of Michigan’s Sleep Disorders Center, said in a news release. "And we already know that high blood pressure in pregnancy, particularly preeclampsia, is associated with smaller babies [and] higher risks of preterm birth or babies ending up in the ICU."
The study is believed to be the largest of its kind, with more than 1,700 participants. It is the first study to demonstrate that pregnancy-onset snoring confers significant risk to maternal cardiovascular health, according to the researchers.
Habitual snoring, the hallmark symptom of sleep-disordered breathing, was defined as snoring three to four nights a week. About 25% of women started snoring frequently during pregnancy, and this change doubled the risk for hypertension compared with non-snoring women.
The results suggest that up to 19% of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy might be mitigated through treatment of any underlying sleep-disordered breathing, O’Brien wrote.
Pregnant women can be treated for sleep-disordered breathing using continuous positive airway pressure, which involves a machine, worn during sleep, that uses mild air pressure to keep the airways open. O’Brien is conducting a study to test whether use of CPAP decreases hypertension in pregnant women.
"Hyperintensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading global cause of maternal and infant deaths and cost billions of dollars annually to treat," O’Brien said. "By asking pregnant women about snoring, especially in those with high blood pressure already, obstetric providers could identify women at high risk for sleep-disordered breathing and intervene during the pregnancy. This could result in better outcomes for mother and baby."
The study is scheduled for publication in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The study abstract is available at http://bit.ly/OgG2P5.
Send comments to editor@nurse.com or post comments below.
