(c) flickr & mybulldog
いびきは，喫煙や高コレステロールよりも動脈硬化のリスクを高める可能性があるとの研究結果が発表された。いびきをかく54名を対象とし，動脈硬化性疾患の指標とされる頸動脈の内側の膜の厚さを測定したところ，いびきをかかない人と比べて厚いことが分かった。いびきの振動で頸動脈が損傷を受け，炎症が起こるためと考えられる。これまで，睡眠時無呼吸（上気道の閉塞によって大きないびきと一時的な呼吸停止を起こす）が心血管疾患と関連するとされてきたが，今回の対象者には睡眠時無呼吸はなく，いびき自体が危険因子であると考えられる。（吉田素子）
Snoring May Be Early Sign of Future Health Risks
Here's a wake-up call for snorers: Snoring may put you at a greater risk than those who are overweight, smoke or have high cholesterol to have thickening or abnormalities in the carotid artery, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
The increased thickening in the lining of the two large blood vessels that supply the brain with oxygenated blood is a precursor to atherosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries responsible for many vascular diseases.
"Snoring is more than a bedtime annoyance and it shouldn't be ignored. Patients need to seek treatment in the same way they would if they had sleep apnea, high blood pressure or other risk factors for cardiovascular disease," says lead study author Robert Deeb, M.D., with the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford.
"Our study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that isolated snoring may not be as benign as first suspected. So instead of kicking your snoring bed partner out of the room or spending sleepless nights elbowing him or her, seek out medical treatment for the snorer."
The study reveals changes in the carotid artery with snorers -- even for those without sleep apnea -- likely due to the trauma and subsequent inflammation caused by the vibrations of snoring.
Study results will be presented Friday at the 2013 Combined Sections Meeting of the Triological Society in Scottsdale, Ariz. It has been submitted to The Laryngoscope journal for publication.
［単語和訳］
Snoring：いびきをかくこと
wake-up call：警鐘，モーニングコール overweight：過体重の cholesterol：コレステロール thickening：肥厚 abnormalities：異常 carotid artery：頸動脈 according to：～によると researchers：研究者
lining：内張り blood vessels：血管 brain：脳 oxygenated：酸素化された precursor：前兆 atherosclerosis：アテローム性動脈硬化 hardening：硬化 arteries：動脈 responsible for：～を引き起こす vascular diseases：血管疾患
annoyance：苛立たしいこと sleep apnea：睡眠時無呼吸 high blood pressure：高血圧 risk factors：危険因子 cardiovascular disease：心血管疾患 lead study author：筆頭著者 M.D.：医師 Otolaryngology：耳鼻咽喉科 Head & Neck Surgery：頭頸部外科
body of evidence：一連の証拠 isolated：単独で起こる benign：良性の instead of：～の代わりに bed partner：一緒に寝ている人 sleepless：眠れない elbowing：～を肘で突きながら seek out：～を探し出す
reveals：明らかにする likely due to：～による可能性が高い trauma：損傷 subsequent：それに続く inflammation：炎症 vibrations：振動
Triological Society：The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.（喉頭科学，鼻科学，耳科学の学会）の別名 Laryngoscope：咽頭鏡（The Laryngoscopeは雑誌名）
