Half of all men snore and one-quarter of all men snore heavily. Snoring happens when the airway is obstructed. Men are prone to obstructions as they gain weight, the neck grows in size and fat blocks the airways. Some snoring indicates sleep apnea, where breathing actually stops, causing heart damage and preventing deep sleep. Men who snore are at 23 times greater risk of having a heart attack.
Sleep apnea is three times more prevalent in men than in women.
While gender is a factor in health, experts say the two major predictors of poor health are poverty and lack of education. In the United States, those conditions are disproportionately higher among African Americans and Hispanics. Blacks die twice as often from strokes as whites do. Blacks and Hispanics get it twice as often as whites. Hispanics get it twice as often as whites.