Snoring is not only a nuisance to roommates, but also a sign of cerebrovascular disease, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and asthma, doctors say.

During a recent academic conference held by the Chinese Association for Science and Technology, Guo Xiheng, a doctor from a hospital affiliated to the Capital Medical Sciences University, said that snoring is intimately linked to many diseases.

Research shows that people with chronic snoring are ten times easier to have cerebral infarction. Male snoring patients have more risks of suffering from angina and myocardial infarction.

Statistics indicates that 25 percent of males and 15 percent of females in the United States habitually snore during sleep. About 60 to 70 percent of obese people snore habitually. The incidence of snoring among those indulged in excessive drinking is five to eight times higher than ordinary people.

"Medical scientists have found 84 diseases related to snoring. Many of the diseases need to be examined carefully," said Huang Xizhen, a chief physician of sleep breath related diseases in the Peking Union Hospital.

Lu Yawen, a psychiatric specialist with the Shenzhen Kangning Hospital in Guangdong province, reported his latest research findings at the conference. A sample survey among 500 families in the city of Shenzhen found that 23 percent of the residents suffered from snoring-related diseases.

Medical scientists say irregular breathing during sleep will cause drowsiness in daytime, lack of concentration and thus reduce working efficiency.

Guo Xiheng said that doctors can diagnose diseases according to the frequency and sound of snores. He warned snorers to stop smoking and drinking and adjust their sleeping posture. (Xinhua)