How climate change can exacerbate dangerous sleep conditions and lose billions of dollars in productivity in the global economy
Do you know if you snore? Maybe you’ve got your partner or family to deliver amazing (or not) news. Otherwise, there may have been nights where I couldn’t sleep because I heard someone else snore. Snoring is often a sign of obstructive sleep apnea and is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder presumed to collide 25 million US adults. It allows people to repeatedly stop and start breathing while they are asleep when the throat muscles relax and block the airways. Mayo Clinic.
The seemingly unrelated phenomenon may exacerbate this potentially dangerous sleep disorder, according to recent research, climate change. New research published in Natural Communication Warm temperatures showed that participants were 45% more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) at certain nights.
“Overall, I was surprised at the magnitude of the association between ambient temperature and OSA severity,” the Read authors said. Bastien Lechat in Flinders University Health and Medical Research Institute In Australia press release.
It can be bothering you about the health impacts as well as the economy. OSA is associated with a significant decline in workplace productivity and absenteeism, and could cost $68 billion from a lower global economy’s productivity and an additional $68 billion welfare as it becomes more common with rising temperatures.
Researchers analyzed sleep data from 116,620 participants in 29 countries over 3.5 years to establish a link between daily ambient temperatures and nightly OSA status using OSA monitors secured by the Food and Drug Administration.
“The higher the rate of diagnosis and treatment, the more it helps manage and mitigate the unfavorable health and productivity issues caused by climate-related OSA,” co-author Danny Eckard said in a press release.
Obstructive sleep apnea and health sacrifices of climate change
OSA is exacerbated by warming temperatures, and may withstand health effects. Untreated or severe cases of OSA can increase the risk of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, anxiety and depression. Shortens the lifespan. People with OSA can also frequently suffer from fatigue and mood swings. This is caused by the continuous destruction of sleep due to breathing interruptions that hinder the calm to deep, recovering sleep.
Lack of sleep Also linked Fastest brain agingcognitive decline, mental health deterioration, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and the suppressed immune system.
The ambient temperature is high Established negative impacts Health including Aggravated mental well-being Overall it got worse Sleep quality and period. Previous research Warm temperatures indicate that warmer temperatures broaden the impact of OSA overall, as warmer temperatures lead to lighter sleep stages and more frequent disruption and awakening.
The economic burden of OSA
In this study, the researchers estimated that the global warming-related increase in OSA prevalence in 2023 was associated with losses of 788,198 healthy living years in 29 countries.
Considering how OSA affects mood and energy levels caused by sleep disruptions, people experience reduced productivity and missed days at work more frequently. However, if the frequency and severity of OSA continues to increase, it can be devastating for the global economy. In 2023, researchers observed that the rise in OSAs increased the number of absentee days of 25 million in 29 surveyed countries, resulting in an economic expense of $30 billion from lost labor.
Researchers should note that research populations are likely to underestimate potential health and economic burdens. All participants own sleep tracking devices and live in highly developed countries where access to heat mitigation tools such as air conditioners is greater, keeping low socioeconomic groups underestimated.
The heat effect can be exacerbated as the average earth temperature is expected to increase from 2.1°C to 3.4°C.
“Our findings highlight that without greater policy action to slow global warming, the burden on OSA could double by 2100 due to rising temperatures,” Lechat said.
“We would like to design intervention studies that explore strategies to reduce the effects of ambient temperature on the severity of sleep apnea and investigate the underlying physiological mechanisms that link temperature fluctuations to OSA severity,” added Eckert.
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