How Does Climate Change Intensify Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

San Francisco, May 18 (NationPress) A recent extensive study revealed that increasing temperatures can exacerbate the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Presented at the ‘ATS 2025 International Conference’, the research indicated that, under plausible climate change forecasts, the societal impact of OSA is projected to double in most nations over the next 75 years.

This study underscores not only the urgent need to limit global warming but also the necessity for immediate strategies to mitigate the health and economic repercussions of OSA as its prevalence and severity rise, according to researchers.

“This research significantly highlights the societal burden linked to the increased prevalence of OSA caused by rising temperatures,” stated Bastien Lechat, a senior research fellow at FHMRI: Sleep Health at Flinders University.

While earlier cross-sectional studies pointed to a connection between ambient temperature and OSA severity, this is the first research to elaborate on that relationship comprehensively.

In this study, researchers scrutinized a consumer database comprising over 116,000 global users of an under-mattress sensor that accurately estimates OSA severity.

The dataset included approximately 500 repeat measurements per user. The researchers then correlated this data with 24-hour ambient temperatures derived from climate models.

In summary, elevated temperatures were linked to a 45 percent greater likelihood of a sleeper experiencing OSA on any given night.

However, the findings displayed regional variations, with individuals in European nations experiencing higher OSA rates in response to rising temperatures compared to those in Australia and the United States.

“We were astonished by the strength of the association between ambient temperature and OSA severity,” Dr. Lechat remarked.

The researchers aimed to quantify how the increase in OSA prevalence due to rising temperatures impacts societal wellbeing and economic loss.

They employed modeling techniques, including disability-adjusted-life-years, productivity losses, and health economics to assess the burden of OSA under various climate scenarios.

The results indicated that any scenario involving temperature increases of 2 degrees Celsius or more would lead to a 1.5-fold to 3-fold increase in the OSA burden by the year 2100. They estimated that climate change has already escalated the OSA burden by 50 percent to 100 percent since 2000.

Besides providing further evidence of the substantial threat climate change poses to human health, Dr. Lechat emphasized the need for developing effective interventions for diagnosing and managing OSA.

“The significant number of undiagnosed and untreated OSA cases amplifies the impact of global warming on the societal burden associated with OSA,” he said. “Improving diagnosis and treatment rates is likely to alleviate the health and productivity challenges stemming from rising temperatures and increased OSA prevalence.”