Poor air quality linked to worsening sleep apnoea, study finds
text_fields
New Delhi: Exposure to higher levels of air pollution may aggravate obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), according to a large international study that underscores the link between environmental health and sleep disorders.
OSA, a common yet often undiagnosed condition, is marked by loud snoring, interrupted breathing during sleep, and frequent night-time awakenings.
Findings presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Amsterdam showed that for every unit increase in PM10, fine particles measuring 10 micrometers or less, typically released from vehicle emissions and industrial processes, patients recorded a modest but significant rise in their apnoea hypopnoea index (AHI), which measures breathing disruptions per hour of sleep.
Researchers noted that patients with lower AHI (below five) were exposed to relatively cleaner air, averaging 16 micrograms of PM10 per cubic meter, while those with higher AHI (five or more) lived in areas with higher pollution levels, averaging 19 micrograms per cubic meter.
“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,” said Martino Pengo, Associate Professor at the University of Milano-Bicocca and clinician at Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS in Milan.
The study analyzed data from 19,325 OSA patients across 25 cities in 14 countries and found variations in the strength of the association between air quality and OSA severity across regions.
Pengo said the findings 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 apnoea.” Even after accounting for age, weight and other factors, the data showed an average increase of 0.41 respiratory events per hour of sleep for every unit rise in PM10.
The researchers stressed that environmental factors such as air quality should be considered alongside other risk factors in diagnosing and managing OSA.