Do children who snore have a higher blood pressure than their peers?

Introduction: Breathing disorders during sleep in adults have an adverse influence on the circulatory system and promote the development of hypertension, among other disorders. A large number of literature data confirm the view that sleep-disordered breathing can increase the risk of the development of hypertension in childhood as well. The aim of the study was to evaluate blood pressure values in children with adenoid or tonsillar hypertrophy and sleep-related breathing disorders such as snoring or apnoea. Material and methods: Fifty-one children participated in the study (17 girls and 34 boys). Anthropometric measurements (body height and weight, body mass index, waist and hip circumference) and blood pressure values were analysed. The intensity of sleep-related breathing disorders was evaluated using a questionnaire administered to the children’s parents. The results obtained were compared to normative values established by a Polish population study (OLAF). Results: Children from the study group have body dimensions comparable with those of the whole children population. Blood pressure in the children from the study group is also within normal range, but in boys we found it to be slightly higher than in girls by comparing the Z-score values. Conclusions: We did not confirm the hypothesis that children who snore due to adenoid/tonsillar hypertrophy who were qualified to surgery had hypertension in comparison to the whole population of Polish children. However, it was observed that snoring had a greater impact on boys’ blood pressure.