Severe snorers may be at higher risk of one of Britain’s deadliest cancer, shock new research has suggested.
It is already known that patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which often causes problem snoring, may be more likely to develop cancer.
Now, one of the world’s first trials exploring the condition and lung cancer specifically has found a ‘significant’ link between the two.
US researchers, who assessed the health records of more than 2.4million adults, said they cannot be sure exactly why the common sleep disorder raises this risk.
But they believe it may be due to the lack of oxygen people get during the night – or lifestyle factors including smoking and even obesity.
Presenting the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago, scientists urged policymakers to consider screening those with the condition for the disease and tackle sleep apnea early, soon after a diagnosis.
OSA, which impacts nearly a billion people worldwide, causes the walls of the throat to relax and narrow or close for a few seconds during sleep.
This triggers breathing pauses and loud snoring.
Up to 3.9 million people in the UK are estimated to have moderate or severe OSA (Obstructive sleep apnea), although it is considered to be under-diagnosed affecting up to 10million.
Not all snorers have sleep apnea, but the two often go hand in hand, and the louder the snoring, the greater the chances of having it.
In the study, researchers at Marshall University in West Virginia, tracked lung cancer diagnoses separating those diagnosed with OSA and those without.
After accounting for factors that could skew the results, such as age and other diagnosed health conditions, they found OSA patients were 1.21 times more likely to develop lung cancer compared to those without OSA.
Dr Jowan Al-Nusair, study co-author and physician at Marshall University told MailOnline it was ‘one of the first statistically significant studies’ to prove a link between the condition and lung cancer.
‘While further studies are definitely now needed to investigate just how the significant the link truly is, this suggests OSA may be a preventable risk factor for lung cancer.
‘We should be more closely monitoring patients with OSA. Patients would definitely benefit from screening and early intervention to combat OSA.
‘Additional studies are essential to understand exactly why OSA may increase this risk.
‘We really hope this will pave the way for future research and testing.’
Lung cancer strikes around 50,000 people in the UK and 230,000 in the US every year.
It is the world’s biggest cancer killer. It is notoriously difficult to diagnose and often appears later when it’s harder to treat.
Figures show it kills four out of five patients within five years. Fewer than 10 per cent of people survive their disease for a decade or more.
Despite the progress, a disparity among sexes is emerging, with women between the ages of 35 and 54 being diagnosed with lung cancer at higher rates than men in that same age group.
Science has long established that smoking definitively causes lung cancer and is the primary risk factor for the disease.
But lung cancer rates, which have been dropping for decades as the world weans off tobacco, are also now rising in young, otherwise healthy people who’ve never smoked.
Experts told MailOnline the disease should not be viewed as ‘an old person’s disease’ — as it was previously seen.
Speaking at ASCO it was also suggested diet, changes in exercise habits and changes in work patterns could play a part in this increased risk.
It comes as a study by The Sleep Charity last year found nine in ten people experience some sort of sleep problem.
Poor sleep has been linked to a number of health problems, including cancer, stroke and infertility.
Experts have long advised that waking up during the night does not necessarily mean you have insomnia, which figures suggest affects up to 14million Brits.
Still, sleep deprivation takes its own toll, from irritability and reduced focus in the short term, to an increased risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
According to the American Sleep Association, nearly 70 million Americans also have a sleep disorder.
