Is Snoring Aging Your Arteries? What 30,000 People Just Revealed

For decades, assessing sleep health typically meant spending a night in a laboratory. While this remains the gold standard for diagnosis, a single snapshot naturally captures only one night of data.

A groundbreaking new study¹, published in npj Digital Medicine, represents a major step forward in understanding sleep patterns. Led by researchers at Flinders University using Withings data, the study analyzed nearly 30,000 participants over roughly 4 years. The results uncovered a profound link between how you breathe at night and indications of how fast your blood vessels are aging.

Here is what the science says, and why it matters for your long-term health.

The metric that matters: Pulse Wave Velocity

To understand the study, we first need to understand a key heart health metric: Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV).

Think of your arteries like a garden hose. When the hose is new and flexible, it absorbs water pressure easily. As it gets older and stiffer, water moves through it differently. In your body, lower PWV generally indicates flexible, healthy arteries, while higher PWV is a sign of stiffening arteries—a primary marker of vascular aging and cardiovascular risk.

A triumph of real-world data

This wasn't a small experiment in a sterile lab. This study utilized aggregated data from 29,653 Withings users across 20 countries.

By combining data from the Withings Sleep Analyzer* (an under-mattress sensor) and the Withings Body Cardio** smart scale, researchers examined the relationship between sleep-disordered breathing and arterial stiffness in the real world.

The sheer volume of data—a median of over 250 nights of sleep tracked per person, per year—allowed scientists to observe patterns that single-night tests simply cannot catch.

Here is what they found.

Finding 1: Consistency matters just as much as severity

Traditionally, sleep apnea is categorized by severity—mild, moderate, or severe—based on the average number of breathing interruptions per hour.

However, this new research found that variability is an important risk factor.

The study revealed a fascinating paradox: participants with "mild" sleep apnea who had high night-to-night variability (meaning their breathing issues fluctuated significantly) showed signs of arterial stiffness comparable to people with "severe" sleep apnea.

The takeaway: An average score doesn't always tell the whole story. If your sleep quality fluctuates significantly, your cardiovascular system may be under more stress than an average score suggests. Multi-night tracking—capturing data over time rather than just once—is a practical way to visualize this pattern.

Finding 2: Snoring is more than just noise

Snoring is often dismissed as a nuisance for your partner, but the data suggest it may be physically stressful for your arteries.

Researchers discovered that a higher “snoring burden” was independently associated with accelerated vascular aging. This held true across the board—whether a person had severe sleep apnea or no sleep apnea at all.

The data point: Participants with no sleep apnea but a high snoring burden (snoring for roughly 12% of the night) had predicted PWV levels similar to those with severe sleep apnea but minimal snoring.

Finding 3: The power of knowledge

These findings may sound alarming, but they are actually empowering.

Unlike a single lab test that gives you a "pass" or "fail" grade, continuous monitoring allows you to see trends. The study showed that these vascular associations are visible even in younger populations, correcting the misconception that arterial stiffness is only a concern for the elderly.

Take your health in hand

Knowledge is the first step toward improvement. This study validates that consumer-grade technology can provide medical-grade insights from the comfort of your bedroom.

By tracking your sleep and vascular health over time, you aren't just looking at numbers; you are getting a clearer picture of your overall health. Whether it’s discussing variability in your breathing patterns with your doctor or taking steps to reduce snoring, understanding your data empowers you to make informed decisions about your vascular aging—and ultimately, your future.

Dream big, sleep well, and keep your heart young.

*Sleep Analyzer is only available in Europe with a sleep apnea detection feature. A US version, Sleep, is available without the sleep apnea detection.

**Body Cardio is no longer available but has been replaced by our new range of smart scales.

References

¹Pinilla, L., Sansom, K., Letzelter, P., Vakulin, A., Montero, A., Hudson, A., et al. (2026). Multi night digital assessment of sleep disordered breathing is associated with accelerated vascular aging. npj Digit. Med. doi: 10.1038/s41746-026-02469-w

Disclaimer

Withings devices are intended for information and wellness purposes or, where specifically indicated, for the detection of specific conditions for which they have received regulatory clearance. It is not intended to imply that the use of a device will prevent or cure any specific condition. Any medical intervention or medical data interpretation, including changes to diet or lifestyle, should always be undertaken under the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional.