London, October 12 : Researchers have developed a computer programme, which can analyse the snoring pattern of people to help diagnose a specific sleep disorder.

Doctors at University of Queensland and the Princess Alexandra Hospital assessed the snoring of 20 patients with sleep apnoea by first recording it.

Similarly, they observed another 66 potential patients.

It was found that the recordings diagnosed the condition successfully in 94 per cent of cases.

"An accurate device to diagnose sleep apnoea from recordings of snoring would be extremely helpful," the Telegraph quoted Dr Neil Stanley, a sleep expert as saying.

"Many patients are told about their snoring by their bed partner, but some can go years not even realising there is a problem, only that they are constantly exhausted.

"This (method) seems to be very accurate for low level sleep apnoea.

"Such a device this could also mean that we are forced to revise upwards the number of people that we think have this condition.

"At the moment the only thing many GPs think they know about this illness is that it affects fat, middle-aged men, which suggests many cases among people who do not fit that profile are not being picked up," the expert added.

Sleep apnoea can turn dangerous being linked to increased risk of high blood pressure and heart attack.

The results of the study were presented at the Australasian Sleep Association Conference in Melbourne, Australia. (ANI)