Urine test 'can detect dangerous snoring'

A urine test that can differentiate between dangerous and safe snoring is possible, say researchers at the University of Chicago.

They looked at 90 children referred to a clinic to be evaluated for breathing problems in sleep, and 30 controls.

A number of proteins were increased in the urine of the children diagnosed with dangerous snoring.



The research is published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The children all had standard overnight tests and some were classified as having obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

OSA can lead to mental, behavioural, cardiovascular and metabolic problems in children. It is estimated that up to 3% of all children up to the age of nine may suffer from it.