BOSTON -- If you snore, you should keep an eye on your blood pressure.
Researchers in China studied the genetics of a half million people and found that snoring and sleep apnea were associated with a higher risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.
They say the link between snoring, sleep apnea, and heart disease may be driven, in part, by obesity.
They say losing weight could reduce the risk and that people with severe sleep apnea should have their blood pressure monitored closely.
Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.