Latest news with #BastienLechat
Wales Online
5 hours ago
- Health
- Wales Online
Common night-time habit that could be early stroke or heart failure warning sign
Common night-time habit that could be early stroke or heart failure warning sign A new study has found that a common habit at night could act as an early warning sign for dangerous hypertension or high blood pressure - even before symptoms appear If you frequently snore at night, it might be a sign of something more sinister (Image: Tim Kitchen via Getty Images ) The largest study of its kind has unveiled that a common night-time condition could serve as an early warning sign for dangerous hypertension or high blood pressure. The research, conducted by sleep specialists at Flinders University, found that individuals, particularly overweight middle-aged men, who regularly snore at night are more likely to have increased blood pressure and uncontrolled hypertension. This study, published in the Nature Digital Medicine journal, is the first to utilise multiple night home-based monitoring technologies over an extended period to investigate the link between snoring and blood pressure. "For the first time, we can objectively say that there is a significant link between regular night-time snoring and high blood pressure," announced lead author Dr Bastien Lechat from the College of Medicine and Public Health, reports Surrey Live. "We found that 15 per cent of all participants in the study, who were primarily overweight men, snore for more than 20 per cent of the night on average and that this regular nightly snoring is associated with elevated blood pressure and uncontrolled hypertension," Dr Lechat added. "These results emphasise the importance of considering snoring as a factor in healthcare and treatment for sleep-related issues, particularly in managing hypertension." Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here NHS simple tips to stop snoring: try to lose weight if you're overweight. sleep on your side – try taping or stitching a tennis ball to the back of your sleepwear, or buy a special pillow or bed wedge to help keep you on your side. consider asking your partner to use earplugs if your snoring affects their sleep. Article continues below Snoring is a common occurrence, but its harmful health impacts are often overlooked. It frequently coexists with sleep apnoea - a condition characterised by sudden pauses in breathing during sleep. "We found that those who snore regularly had almost double the risk of uncontrolled hypertension. This risk nearly doubled again in individuals who snored regularly and suffered from sleep apnoea compared to those who didn't snore regularly," explained Professor Danny Eckert, Director of Sleep Health at Flinders University and the senior author of the study. A new research, that was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, involving 72,269 people aged 40 to 79 from the UK Biobank study could not determine exactly how close one has to get to a same bed and wake-up time. It could only determine that the risk of harm increases the further away you are. The lead author, Jean-Philippe Chaput, of the University of Ottawa, said: "We should aim to wake up and go to sleep within 30 minutes of the same time each night and each morning, including weekends. Within an hour of the same time is good but less good than 30 minutes, and even better is to have zero variation. "Beyond an hour's difference each night and each morning means irregular sleep. That can have negative health impacts. The closer you are to zero variation the better. "No one is perfect across a whole year, and if you don't have a regular sleep pattern for one or two days a week, it's not going to kill you. But if you repeatedly have irregular sleep, five or six days a week, then it becomes chronic, and that is a problem." Snoring on its own could be an early warning sign of high blood pressure, as the poor quality of sleep it causes may increase the risk of developing hypertension. Hypertension, which is colloquially known as long-term high blood pressure, can lead to serious health complications such as heart failure, stroke, heart disease, or kidney disease. The study utilised data from sleep trackers, placed under mattresses to monitor snoring and sleep apnoea, and also made use of FDA-registered home blood pressure monitors. The research spanned nine months and involved over 12,000 participants worldwide. NHS advice on what NOT to do if you want to stop snoring: do not smoke. do not consume excessive alcohol. do not take sleeping pills – these can sometimes cause snoring. "This is the largest study to date investigating the potential relationships between snoring, sleep apnoea and hypertension using objective assessments in people's homes, and it reveals important insights into the potential consequences of snoring on hypertension risk," Dr Lechat said. The research also underscores the importance of recognising snoring within clinical practice and sleep disorder management, particularly in relation to controlling high blood pressure. Article continues below "The findings of this study pave the way to further investigate whether therapeutic interventions directed toward snoring can reduce hypertension and reduce the risks associated with it," he continued. If you're experiencing snoring along with signs of poor sleep quality, excessive fatigue, or observed breathing problems during sleep, it's advisable to see your GP or a sleep specialist who might suggest a sleep study. For more details, you can check the NHS website by clicking here.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Sleep apnoea cases may double this century due to global warming, researchers warn
Hotter nights caused by climate crisis could make sleep apnoea much more common and more dangerous by the end of the century, a new study has found. Rising temperatures are likely to worsen obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) – a sleep disorder already affecting nearly a billion people worldwide and linked to heart disease, dementia and early death, researchers said. The study, led by researchers at Flinders University and published in Nature Communications, is the first to model how climate change may intensify the severity and health impact of OSA. 'This study helps us to understand how environmental factors like climate might affect health by investigating whether ambient temperatures influence the severity of OSA,' said lead author Dr Bastien Lechat of Flinders University's FHMRI Sleep Health. Researchers analysed more than 58 million nights of sleep data from over 116,000 people across 29 countries, recorded via an under-mattress sensor that tracked breathing disturbances during sleep. The data, collected over several years, was then matched with hourly climate data from global climate models to simulate changes in OSA severity under different warming scenarios. 'Overall, we were surprised by the magnitude of the association between ambient temperature and OSA severity,' said Dr Lechat. 'Higher temperatures were associated with a 45 per cent increased likelihood of a sleeper experiencing OSA on a given night.' The study found that the temperature-related increase in OSA severity was particularly pronounced in European countries compared to Australia or the US, which researchers suggest may be linked to differing access to air conditioning. Researchers used disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) to estimate the health and economic burden of climate-exacerbated sleep apnoea. They found that in 2023 alone, rising temperatures were linked to the loss of approximately 800,000 healthy life years across the 29 countries studied. 'This number is similar to other medical conditions, such as bipolar disorder, Parkinson's disease or chronic kidney diseases,' said Dr Lechat. The total estimated economic loss was around $98bn, with $68bn attributed to wellbeing loss and $30bn to reduced workplace productivity. Senior researcher Professor Danny Eckert said the sample may under-represent the real-world burden of OSA in lower-income countries, as the data primarily came from individuals in high-income regions with better access to cooling and healthcare. 'This may have biased our estimates and led to an under-estimation of the true health and economic cost,' he said. In Australia alone, the cost of sleep-related health issues including OSA has previously been estimated at AU$66bn a year. The team now plans to investigate potential interventions, including how access to cooling or behavioural adaptations might reduce sleep apnoea severity under warming conditions. 'Going forward, we want to design intervention studies that explore strategies to reduce the impact of ambient temperatures on sleep apnoea severity as well as investigate the underlying physiological mechanisms,' Professor Eckert said. Without stronger global climate action, the burden of sleep apnoea is likely to rise sharply, the study warns, exacerbating public health challenges and straining economies.
Tom's Guide
5 days ago
- Health
- Tom's Guide
Sleep apnea is on the rise — new study finds climate change might be to blame
As summer sets in you might notice the impact hot temperatures have on your sleep, with many of us struggling to drift off when stuffy or overheated. But rising temperatures might impact our sleep in ways we don't immediately realize, with a new study drawing a link between climate change-induced global warming and increased levels of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea, characterized by disrupted breathing at night, is already among the most common sleep disorders, with an estimated 936 million people worldwide thought to experience OSA (obstructive sleep apnea.) And this study indicates that this prevalence could continue to rise alongside global temperatures, increasing the burden of OSA on both our sleep and the healthcare system. Recently published in leading journal Nature Communications, the study from Flinders University investigates the impact of higher temperatures on sleep apnea episodes in 116,620 participants over the course of three years. Using under the mattress sleep trackers, the study found that on a given night, higher temperatures were associated with a 45% increase in the probability of experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea. 'This study helps us to understand how environmental factors like climate might affect health by investigating whether ambient temperatures influence the severity of OSA,' explains Dr. Bastien Lechat, lead author. 'Overall, we were surprised by the magnitude of the association between ambient temperature and OSA severity." Based on these findings, researchers predict that in the next 75 years the societal burden of OSA, including associated healthcare costs, might double. The study notes that the impact was most frequently observed in European countries, compared to Australia and the US. Dr. Lechat theorizes the difference might be due to air conditioning, more prevalent in the latter areas. Dr. Danny Eckert, senior researcher, further points out that as the study is skewed towards higher economic areas — where air conditioning is more readily available — the estimated health and financial impact might actually be an underestimate. Sleep apnea is characterized by breathing disruptions as you sleep. There is currently no cure for sleep apnea, although the symptoms can be managed. Untreated sleep apnea carries severe risks, including fatigue, a reduced quality of life and a higher danger of being involved in traffic accidents. Untreated and severe sleep apnea has also been linked to an increased risk of dementia and cardiovascular disease, as well as anxiety and depression. If higher global temperature cause cases of sleep apnea to rise, we might also see an increase in these comorbidities. 'The increase in OSA prevalence in 2023 due to global warming was associated with a loss of approximately 800,000 healthy life years across the 29 countries studied.," explains Dr. Lechat. The research team hopes this study will be the first step in developing strategies to reduce the impact of ambient temperature on sleep apnea. Sleep apnea symptoms can be hard to spot, as the most obvious signs of apnea occur when you're asleep. However, the symptoms listed below offer an indicator of sleep apnea that can help you seek a diagnosis. If you suspect you're experiencing sleep apnea, we recommend speaking to a healthcare professional. They can help you find a diagnosis and develop an effective sleep apnea treatment plan.
West Australian
5 days ago
- Health
- West Australian
Snoring snoozers are biggest losers as world warms up
In a wake-up call for untreated snorers, researchers have warned that sleep apnoea will become more common and more severe because of global warming. Rising temperatures will increase the severity of obstructive condition and its health and economic burdens are tipped to double in most countries over the next 75 years, the Flinders University study found. Sleep apnoea – a condition that disturbs breathing during sleep and commonly causes snoring – affects almost a billion people globally. Lead author Bastien Lechat said higher temperatures were associated with a 45 per cent increased likelihood of a sleeper experiencing obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). "We were surprised by the magnitude of the association between ambient temperature and OSA severity," Dr Lechat said. "Our findings highlight that without greater policy action to slow global warming, OSA burden may double by 2100 due to rising temperatures." The findings varied by region, with higher rates of obstructive sleep apnoea projected in European countries than those in Australia and the US. If untreated or severe, obstructive sleep apnoea increases the risk of dementia and Parkinson's disease, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, anxiety and depression, reduced quality of life, traffic accidents and general mortality. In Australia, the economic cost associated with poor sleep, including sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnoea, has been estimated at $66 billion a year. The study, published in Nature Communications, analysed sleep data from over 116,000 people globally using an under-mattress sensor to estimate the severity of the condition. Researchers matched sleep data with temperature information sourced from climate models. Health economics modelling also showed the increasing impact on wellbeing and economic loss due to the condition's prevalence alongside rising temperatures. The estimated total economic cost associated with the condition was around $US98 billion, including $68 billion from wellbeing loss and $30 billion from workplace productivity loss. The study was skewed towards high socio-economics countries and individuals, likely to have access to more favourable sleeping environments and air conditioning, senior researcher Danny Eckert said. "This may have biased our estimates and led to an under-estimation of the true health and economic cost," Professor Eckert said. The research highlighted the importance of developing effective interventions to diagnose and manage obstructive sleep apnoea. "Higher rates of diagnosis and treatment will help us to manage and reduce the adverse health and productivity issues caused by climate-related OSA," Prof Eckert said. "We want to design intervention studies that explore strategies to reduce the impact of ambient temperatures on sleep apnoea severity, as well as investigate the underlying physiological mechanisms that connect temperature fluctuations to OSA severity."
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
Snoring snoozers are biggest losers as world warms up
In a wake-up call for untreated snorers, researchers have warned that sleep apnoea will become more common and more severe because of global warming. Rising temperatures will increase the severity of obstructive condition and its health and economic burdens are tipped to double in most countries over the next 75 years, the Flinders University study found. Sleep apnoea – a condition that disturbs breathing during sleep and commonly causes snoring – affects almost a billion people globally. Lead author Bastien Lechat said higher temperatures were associated with a 45 per cent increased likelihood of a sleeper experiencing obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). "We were surprised by the magnitude of the association between ambient temperature and OSA severity," Dr Lechat said. "Our findings highlight that without greater policy action to slow global warming, OSA burden may double by 2100 due to rising temperatures." The findings varied by region, with higher rates of obstructive sleep apnoea projected in European countries than those in Australia and the US. If untreated or severe, obstructive sleep apnoea increases the risk of dementia and Parkinson's disease, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, anxiety and depression, reduced quality of life, traffic accidents and general mortality. In Australia, the economic cost associated with poor sleep, including sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnoea, has been estimated at $66 billion a year. The study, published in Nature Communications, analysed sleep data from over 116,000 people globally using an under-mattress sensor to estimate the severity of the condition. Researchers matched sleep data with temperature information sourced from climate models. Health economics modelling also showed the increasing impact on wellbeing and economic loss due to the condition's prevalence alongside rising temperatures. The estimated total economic cost associated with the condition was around $US98 billion, including $68 billion from wellbeing loss and $30 billion from workplace productivity loss. The study was skewed towards high socio-economics countries and individuals, likely to have access to more favourable sleeping environments and air conditioning, senior researcher Danny Eckert said. "This may have biased our estimates and led to an under-estimation of the true health and economic cost," Professor Eckert said. The research highlighted the importance of developing effective interventions to diagnose and manage obstructive sleep apnoea. "Higher rates of diagnosis and treatment will help us to manage and reduce the adverse health and productivity issues caused by climate-related OSA," Prof Eckert said. "We want to design intervention studies that explore strategies to reduce the impact of ambient temperatures on sleep apnoea severity, as well as investigate the underlying physiological mechanisms that connect temperature fluctuations to OSA severity."
