A new multi-national study, presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress, has revealed that air pollution may worsen symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
OSA is a common condition where individuals snore loudly, stop breathing temporarily during sleep, and often wake up repeatedly. It raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
Led by Professor Martino Pengo from the University of Milano-Bicocca, the study analyzed data from 19,325 patients with OSA across 25 European cities. Data from the European Sleep Apnoea Database was matched with air pollution records (PM10 levels) from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.
Findings showed that for every one-unit increase in PM10, there was a measurable increase in the apnea hypopnea index (AHI)—a measure of how often breathing is disrupted during sleep. Patients living in areas with higher PM10 levels had worse AHI scores.
For instance, patients with lower AHI scores lived in areas with an average PM10 of 16 µg/m³, whereas those with higher AHI scores lived in areas with around 19 µg/m³. The association between PM10 and AHI was especially strong in cities like Lisbon, Paris, and Athens.
Professor Pengo emphasized that even small increases in AHI per unit of pollution can have a significant impact at the population level. These findings suggest air quality should be considered when diagnosing and treating OSA.
Professor Sophia Schiza from the University of Crete added that this study strengthens the link between environmental and sleep health, urging doctors to consider air quality as a contributing factor for sleep apnea severity.
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