Skip to main content

Higher Temperatures Tied to Increased Probability of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 3, 2025.

via HealthDay

THURSDAY, July 3, 2025 -- Higher temperatures across the globe are associated with an increased probability of having obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a study published online June 16 in Nature Communications.

Bastien Lechat, Ph.D., from Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, and colleagues quantified the effect of 24-hour ambient temperature on nightly OSA severity in 116,620 users of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration–cleared nearable OSA monitor over 3.5 years. Well-being and productivity OSA burden were estimated for different levels of global warming.

The researchers found an association for higher temperatures (99th versus 25th percentile [27.3 versus 6.4 degrees Celsius]) with a 45 percent higher probability of having OSA on a given night (mean, 1.45). In 2023, a warming-related increase in the prevalence of OSA was associated with a loss of 788,198 healthy life-years in 29 countries and a loss of $30 billion in workplace productivity. A further 1.2- to 3.0-fold increase in OSA burden by 2100 was seen in scenarios with projected temperatures ≥1.8 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.

"Our findings highlight that without greater policy action to slow global warming, OSA burden may double by 2100 due to rising temperatures," Lechat said in a statement.

Several authors disclosed ties to the medical device industry.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Study Compares Benefits, Harms of Treatments for Chronic Hives

WEDNESDAY, July 23, 2025 -- Omalizumab and remibrutinib may be the most effective treatments for reducing hives, itch, and swelling with chronic urticaria, according to a study...

USPSTF Guidelines of Little Value for Estimating Preeclampsia Risk in Those at Moderate Risk

WEDNESDAY, July 23, 2025 -- Moderate U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) preeclampsia risk factors have little value for estimating the risk for preeclampsia, according...

Endocrine Society, July 12-15

The annual meeting of the Endocrine Society (ENDO 2025) was held from July 12 to 15 in San Francisco, attracting more than 7,000 participants, including clinicians, academicians...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.