Australian researchers say that people who snore are at an elevated risk of developing heart failure.

Agence France-Presse reports that the researchers, from the Sleep Disorders Center in Melbourne, uncovered the link while studying sleep apnea in 40 patients.

The study found that when the patients wore masks to pump air into their noses while they sleep, they significantly cut their risk of having heart failure, according to the AFP account.

The lead researcher, Matthew Naughton, said that snoring could be as significant a factor in heart disease as smoking and diabetes. But it is also a treatable condition.

"I don't think snoring should be disregarded as a nuisance," Naughton told AFP. The study's potential impact is "huge, because we're not dealing with a rare condition, we're dealing with two common conditions."