Snoring is not only a nuisance to roommates, but a sign of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, asthma and other serious conditions.

This was the consensus of a recent academic conference held by the Chinese Association for Science and Technology.

Guo Xiheng, a doctor from a hospital affiliated with the Capital Medical Sciences University, said snoring is intimately linked to many diseases.

His research shows people with chronic snoring are 10 times more likely to have a stroke. Snoring men have greater risks of suffering from angina and other heart problems like myocardial infarction.

Statistics indicate that 25 per cent of men and 15 per cent of women in the United States habitually snore while they sleep. The incidence of snoring among excessive drinkers 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, chief physician of sleeping and breathing related diseases at the Peking Union Hospital.

Lu Yawen, a psychiatric specialist with the Shenzhen Kangning Hospital in Guangdong Province, reported that a sample survey among 500 families in Shenzhen found that 23 per cent of residents suffered from snoring-related diseases.

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