Global Temperature Rise Linked to Increased Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity

Global temperature rises associated with climate change are associated with increasing severity of obstructive sleep apnea, according to new data presented at the 2025 American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference in San Francisco.1,2

This data was presented in a poster titled ‘Rising Temperatures Are Associated With Increased Burden of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.’ The analysis was authored by such investigators as Bastien Lechat, MD, a Research Associate at the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health.

“This study really highlights the societal burden associated with the increase in [obstructive sleep apnea] prevalence due to rising temperatures,” Lechat said in a statement.2

The new study further projects that, under the most probable climate change trajectories, obstructive sleep apnea’s global societal impact could double in most nations over the next 75 years. Prior to these data, it was known that higher ambient temperatures were linked to diminished sleep duration and quality, but the impact on obstructive sleep apnoea’s burden had largely been unexplored.

Lechat and coauthors sought to quantify the impacts of 24 hours of ambient temperature on nightly severity of obstructive sleep apnea. They would then estimate the associated levels of well-being and overall productivity among study subjects (AHI≥15), using case-time series analysis as well as user-year-month stratum.

There were 116,620 participants involved in the study in total, with the median age being 49 years old and 23% being female.1 These individuals had registered to utilize an under-mattress sleep sensor in the period between January 2020 - September 2023.

Each subject contributed approximately 500 nightly measurements, and these were then matched with 24-hour ambient temperatures that the investigative team derived from climate models. Overall, the team’s findings not only reinforced the urgent need to limit global warming but also underscored the necessity of developing immediate public health strategies to address the increasing consequences of more prevalent and severe obstructive sleep apnea.

The investigators concluded that there was an association between elevated temperatures and a 45% rise in patients’ likelihood of experiencing obstructive sleep apnea on any given night.1 However, the temperature-related rise observed in these rates was shown to vary by geographic region. For example, those living in Europe experienced more pronounced impacts than those in the US and Australia.

In their assessment of the broader implications of these findings, Lechat and colleagues modeled the effects of climate-driven increases in obstructive sleep apnea via metrics such as lost productivity, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and health care financial burdens. They determined that under scenarios involving temperature increases of 2°C or more, obstructive sleep apnea-related burden would increase between 1.5 - 3 times by the year 2100.

Additionally, the investigative team estimated that temperature-related climate change has already contributed to a 50% to 100% rise in obstructive sleep apnea burden since the year 2000.

“The high prevalence [of] undiagnosed and untreated [obstructive sleep apnea] amplifies the effect of global warming on the societal burden associated with [obstructive sleep apnea],” Lechat said in a statement.2 “Higher rates of diagnosis and treatment is likely to reduce the health and productivity burden due to rising temperature and increased [obstructive sleep apnea] prevalence.”

For more new data presented at ATS, view our latest conference coverage.

References

1. Lechat B, Manners J, Eckert D, et al. (Poster Board # 801) Rising Temperatures Are Associated With Increased Burden of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Abstract presented at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference 2025 in San Francisco, CA, from May 18 - May 21, 2025.

2. Newswise. Climate Change Increases Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. American Thoracic Society. May 13, 2025. Accessed May 18, 2025. https://www.newswise.com/articles/climate-change-increases-severity-of-obstructive-sleep-apnea.