UPPSALA, Sweden, April 12 (UPI) -- A Swedish study finds that habitual snoring in women is strongly tied to body mass index and age.
The researchers at Uppsala University Hospital surveyed 6,817 women on their snoring habits and potential risk factors for snoring, including BMI, smoking habits, physical activity, alcohol and medication use, menopausal and hormonal status.
The total prevalence for snoring was 7.6 percent, with the highest prevalence among women ages 50 to 59 -- 14 percent -- and the lowest prevalence among women under age 40 and over age 80.
Habitual snoring was found to increase with a higher BMI; however, alcohol dependence was associated with snoring in lean women, while physical inactivity was associated with snoring in women with a high BMI.
Overall, snorers were significantly older, had a higher mean BMI, had higher neck and waist circumferences, were more often smokers and were less physically active than non-snorers, according to the study published in the journal Chest.
