Rising global temperatures may make obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) worse, according to a major new study presented at the ATS 2025 International Conference.
The research, which was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, also predicts that the societal impact of OSA could double in most countries over the next 75 years if climate change continues on its current path.
These findings not only highlight the urgent need to address global warming but also stress the importance of managing the health and economic impacts of OSA as it becomes more common and severe.
OSA is a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep due to blocked airways. It can cause snoring, fatigue, and serious health risks, including heart disease and stroke.
This study is the first of its kind to explain in detail how rising temperatures can worsen OSA. Previous research hinted at a link between outdoor temperatures and OSA, but this is the first large-scale study to thoroughly explore the connection.
The study was led by Dr. Bastien Lechat, a senior research fellow at FHMRI: Sleep Health at Flinders University. He emphasized the alarming consequences of rising temperatures on sleep health, stating that this study makes clear how much OSA may increase as the world gets warmer.
According to the researchers, the findings call for urgent global action to limit temperature increases and to develop strategies to manage the rising burden of OSA.
To conduct the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 116,000 people across the world. These participants used an under-mattress sensor that could detect OSA severity. On average, each person had around 500 sleep measurements recorded.
Researchers then compared this information with 24-hour temperature data from climate models. This allowed them to see how changes in temperature affected the participants’ sleep and OSA symptoms.
The results were clear: higher temperatures were linked to a 45% higher chance of experiencing OSA on any given night. However, the impact of temperature on OSA varied by region. People in European countries seemed to experience more severe OSA symptoms with rising temperatures compared to those in Australia and the United States.
Dr. Lechat expressed surprise at how strong this connection was, suggesting that climate might play a larger role in sleep health than previously understood.
To understand the broader impact, the researchers estimated how the increasing prevalence of OSA due to rising temperatures would affect society. They used models to calculate the economic and health impacts, including loss of productivity and healthcare costs.
Their findings were concerning: if global temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius or more, the societal burden of OSA could increase by 1.5 to 3 times by the year 2100. They also estimate that climate change has already increased the burden of OSA by 50% to 100% since the year 2000.
These results underline not only the dangers of global warming but also the need for better strategies to diagnose and treat OSA. According to Dr. Lechat, many people with OSA go undiagnosed and untreated, which only makes the problem worse as temperatures climb.
He stressed that improving diagnosis rates and treatment access could help reduce the health and economic toll that OSA may bring in a warming world.
The researchers now plan to take their study further by developing intervention strategies that might lessen the impact of high temperatures on OSA sufferers. They also hope to explore the biological reasons why warmer weather seems to make OSA worse. Understanding how temperature affects breathing during sleep could be key to finding better treatments.
This study is a stark reminder that climate change is not just about rising sea levels or extreme weather; it also impacts everyday health conditions like sleep apnea. As global temperatures continue to rise, the findings suggest that more people may suffer from sleep-related health issues, increasing the strain on health systems and affecting the quality of life for millions.
Addressing climate change may not only protect the environment but also safeguard public health by preventing conditions like OSA from becoming more widespread and severe.
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The research findings can be found in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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