How heavy snoring can make you age faster

HEAVY snorers suffer damage to their DNA that can make their cells age faster and increase the risk of cancer, a study suggests.

It found they have shorter telomeres, tiny caps at the end of chromosomes – DNA molecules – that prevent genetic material from unravelling and fraying.

It is well known that shorter telomeres indicate rapid ageing and increased susceptibility to cancer.

But a team at West China Hospital in Sichuan wanted to see how DNA is affected by sleep apnoea, the snoring-related condition that disrupts breathing and makes sufferers wake dozens of times in the night.

Scientists pooled data from eight previous studies involving 2,640 patients.

The results revealed a ‘significant association’ between heavy snoring and reduced telomere length, they reported in the journal Sleep.

‘This has implications for the treatment and prevention of future health problems,’ the study added.

Around three million people in the UK suffer with sleep apnoea, which is common in overweight middle-aged men.