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Lung cancer potentially linked to consistent snoring

Sleep analysis of over 2.4 million U.S. adults reveals a significant link between sleep apnea and lung cancer in the adult population. Although the researchers cannot fully elucidate why this widespread sleep disorder raises the risk...

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Researchers in America, after analyzing medical records of approximately 2.4 million adults,...
Researchers in America, after analyzing medical records of approximately 2.4 million adults, discovered a link between snoring and lungs cancer in adults. The reasons behind this heightened risk associated with a common sleep disorder remain unclear.

Lung cancer potentially linked to consistent snoring

American researchers have unearthed a link between snoring and lung cancer in adults, a finding that could reshape the prevention and treatment of this deadly disease. While they can't pinpoint the exact reason behind this common sleep disorder's connection to lung cancer, the evidence is undeniable.

Presenting their findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago, scientists plead for political action. They urge policymakers to prioritize screening individuals with this condition and address sleep apnea early on after diagnosis.

Obstructive sleep apnea, affecting almost a billion people worldwide, occurs when the walls of the throat relax, narrowing or closing for several seconds during sleep, causing breathing pauses and loud snoring.

In a comprehensive study, researchers from Marshall University in West Virginia examined lung cancer diagnoses, separating those with obstructive sleep apnea from those without. After accounting for factors likely to skew the results, such as age and other diagnosed diseases, they discovered that patients with OSA had a 1.21 times higher likelihood of developing lung cancer than those without OSA.

Dr. Giovann Al-Nasir, co-author of the study and a physician at Marshall University, told MailOnline that the study is "one of the first to prove the connection between snoring and lung cancer." The researchers hope that this finding may pave the way for future studies and trials, ultimately providing answers about the link between the two conditions.

Potential Reasons for the Correlation

The exact reasons behind the correlation between OSA and lung cancer are not fully understood, but several factors could play a role:

  1. Oxygen Deprivation: The lack of oxygen received at night due to breathing pauses during sleep may contribute to lung cancer development.
  2. Lifestyle Factors: Other lifestyle factors, such as smoking and obesity, could also contribute to both the common sleep disorder and lung cancer.
  3. Inflammation and Oxidative Stress: Obstructive sleep apnea can lead to increased inflammation and oxidative stress, which may promote cancer growth.
  4. Immune System Alteration: OSA can impact the immune system, potentially impairing its ability to control tumor growth.
  5. Shared Risk Factors: Both OSA and lung cancer share common risk factors such as smoking.

Implications and Future Research

Lung cancer is known for its high mortality rate, difficult diagnosis, and late manifestation. Although scientists have established that smoking causes lung cancer, the disease is now increasing among young, otherwise healthy individuals who have never smoked.

This recent study could help shed light on preventable risk factors for lung cancer and lead to earlier intervention for patients with obstructive sleep apnea. As further research is needed to understand the significance of this link, scientists stress the importance of paying closer attention to patients with the condition and advocating for increased screening efforts.

  1. The connection between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and lung cancer could be due to the oxygen deprivation that occurs during the sleeping pauses in individuals with OSA, potentially contributing to lung cancer development.
  2. In light of the link between OSA and lung cancer, scientists advocate for screening individuals with OSA and addressing sleep apnea early on after diagnosis, aiming to potentially reduce the risk of lung cancer or detect it at an early stage.

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