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Individuals who have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) might undergo worse signs in the event that they dwell in areas with larger ranges of air air pollution, based on a multi-national examine introduced on the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Sufferers with OSA usually snore loudly, their respiration begins and stops throughout the evening, they usually might get up a number of occasions. Not solely does this trigger extreme sleepiness, however it could additionally enhance the chance of hypertension, stroke, coronary heart illness and sort 2 diabetes. OSA is quite common, however many individuals don’t notice they’ve the situation.
The analysis was introduced by Martino Pengo, affiliate professor from the College of Milano-Bicocca and clinician at Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Milan, Italy. He informed the Congress: “We know that OSA is more common in people who are older or overweight, but there’s growing concern that air pollution also might make the condition worse. However, previous studies, mostly focused on just one country, have produced mixed results. We wanted to look at this on a larger scale, across several European cities, to better understand if and how air pollution affects OSA.”
The examine included knowledge on 19,325 sufferers with OSA from 25 totally different cities in 14 international locations. All sufferers are participating in a bigger analysis mission known as the European Sleep Apnoea Database. In addition to offering knowledge on their age, intercourse, BMI and whether or not they smoke, all sufferers took half in a sleep examine to measure the standard of their sleep and make sure a prognosis of OSA, together with recording pauses in respiration and drops within the degree of oxygen within the blood.
Researchers mixed this affected person knowledge with data of PM10 focus within the air the place every affected person lives, taken from the Europe-wide Copernicus Ambiance Monitoring Service. PM10 focus is the quantity of tiny particles, 10 micrometers or smaller, launched into the air by automobile exhausts and industrial processes, for instance.
The evaluation revealed that, total, for each one unit enhance in PM10, there was a modest however measurable enhance within the sufferers’ apnea hypopnea index (AHI). AHI is the variety of apneas (when respiration stops) and hypopneas (when respiration is lowered) per hour throughout sleep. For instance, amongst sufferers with low AHI (lower than 5), the common PM10 within the space the place they dwell was comparatively low (round 16 micrograms per cubic meter of air). In distinction, in sufferers with excessive AHI (5 or extra), the common PM10 was additionally larger (round 19 micrograms per cubic meter of air).
Researchers additionally discovered variations between the power of the hyperlink between air air pollution and OSA in several cities round Europe: as an example, in cities like Lisbon (Portugal), Paris (France), and Athens (Greece) the affiliation was significantly robust.
Professor Pengo stated, “We confirmed a statistically significant positive association between average long-term exposure to air pollution, specifically fine particles known as PM10, and the severity of obstructive sleep apnea. Even after we took account for other factors that we know have an effect on OSA, we still found an average increase in the number of respiratory events per hour of sleep of 0.41 for every one unit increase in PM10. This effect may seem small for an individual, but across entire populations it can shift many people into higher-severity categories, making it meaningful from a public health perspective”.
“One of the most interesting findings was that the link between air pollution and OSA severity wasn’t the same in every European location. In some cities, the impact was stronger; in others, it was weaker or even absent. These regional differences might be due to things like local climate, the type of pollution or even how health care systems detect OSA.”
The researchers say they need to perceive why the results fluctuate between cities and whether or not some individuals are extra affected by air pollution than others. In addition they hope to discover whether or not lowering air pollution can enhance sleep apnea signs.
Professor Sophia Schiza is head of the European Respiratory Society’s professional group on sleep disordered respiration, based mostly on the College of Crete, Greece, and was not concerned within the analysis. She stated, “Obstructive sleep apnea is a standard situation. Individuals who have OSA might know that they snore or get up usually within the evening, they usually can also really feel sleepy throughout the day. There are additionally critical well being dangers related to this situation. For individuals with OSA, particularly these residing in cities with excessive ranges of air air pollution, this examine is vital because it suggests air pollution could possibly be making their situation worse.
“For doctors caring for people with OSA, this research highlights the need to consider environmental factors like air quality alongside other risk factors. This study strengthens the connection between environmental health and sleep medicine. It reminds us that tackling air pollution isn’t just good for the planet, it’s also vital for our lungs and our sleep quality too.”
Extra data:
Summary no: PA5662 “Association between air pollution and sleep disordered breathing severity across Europe”, by Martino Pengo et al; Offered in session, “Variability in sleep apnoea and the association of different hypoxia metrics with sleep apnoea diagnosis and outcomes” at 12:30-14:00 CEST on Tuesday 30 September 2025. k4.ersnet.org/prod/v2/Entrance/Pr … ?e=685&session=19486
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Larger ranges of air air pollution linked to worsening of sleep apnea (2025, September 28)
retrieved 28 September 2025
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