Doctor on research showing that sleep apnea diagnoses could double by the end of the 21st century
MEASURES. WE’RE GOING TO TURN TO FIVE ON YOUR HEALTH RIGHT NOW, AND MORE AMERICANS ARE FACING A NEW DANGER AFTER DARK. RESEARCHERS ARE NOW PREDICTING THAT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM SLEEP APNEA COULD DOUBLE BY THE END OF THE CENTURY. JOINING ME RIGHT NOW IS DOCTOR FAMILIAR FACE. WCVB CHANNEL 5. GOOD TO SEE YOU. TODD CHAIR OF MEDICINE AT SOUTH SHORE HEALTH. SO LET’S LET’S START WITH THIS CONDITION. OKAY. ABOUT ABOUT 30 MILLION PEOPLE. IT’S A SIZABLE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE IT, BUT ONLY 6 MILLION ARE ACTUALLY DIAGNOSED. WHAT MAKES THIS SO HARD TO SPOT? RIGHT I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT. SO 80% OF PEOPLE WITH SLEEP APNEA DON’T KNOW THAT THEY HAVE IT. WHY? FIRST OF ALL, SOME PEOPLE SLEEP ALONE. OBVIOUSLY THEY DON’T HAVE A PARTNER THAT CAN RECOGNIZE YOU’RE STOPPING BREATHING, YOU’RE SNORING SO MUCH. THAT’S ONE REASON. YOU KNOW, ANOTHER REASON IS THAT TO REALLY FORMALLY DIAGNOSE IT, YOU NEED A SLEEP STUDY. NOW, THERE ARE WEARABLE DEVICES THAT ARE MAKING IT EASIER TO SPOT, BUT YOU STILL NEED THAT SLEEP STUDY. AND SOME PEOPLE, SOME OF US THINK WE’RE NOT SLEEPING A LOT, AND WE MAY WEAR IT AS A BADGE OF HONOR. WE’RE WORKING HARD, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IF YOU’RE NOT SLEEPING WELL, IF YOU WAKE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING WITH HEADACHES OR WHAT WE CALL DAYTIME SOMNOLENCE WHERE YOU’RE SLEEPING MORE THAN YOU SHOULD DURING THE DAY, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT IT. SO SO YOU HAVE READ THIS, THIS STUDY, RIGHT? SO WHAT’S THE LINK TO IS THERE A LINK TO GLOBAL WARMING? RIGHT. THIS WAS A STUDY PUBLISHED IN NATURE COMMUNICATION. LOOKED AT OVER 100,000 PEOPLE KIND OF RETROSPECTIVELY, AND SHOWED THAT IN THE PARTS OF THE WORLD, THIS WAS A GLOBAL STUDY. AND THE PARTS OF THE WORLD THAT WERE THE HOTTEST, THERE WAS A 45% INCREASE IN OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA. 45. THAT’S RIGHT. AND SO IT JUST SHOWS THAT WE KNOW THAT HOT WEATHER DISRUPTS OUR SLEEP CYCLE. IT LEADS TO SHALLOWER BREATHING. IT LEADS TO MORE FREQUENT AWAKENING. AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS IT REALLY IMPAIRS OUR ABILITY. YOU KNOW, OUR AIRWAY ABILITY. SO OUR RESEARCHERS IN THIS STUDY OFFERING ANY SOLUTIONS THERE ARE. REMEMBER, IF YOU’RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE THERE’S AIR CONDITIONING, THAT HELPS. BUT MAKING THE DIAGNOSIS IS SO IMPORTANT. THAT’S WHY I WANT TO TELL YOU AT SOUTH SHORE HEALTH, WE HAVE AN UNBELIEVABLE SLEEP CENTER. WE DO 2000 THIS YEAR. WE’RE PROBABLY ON TRACK TO DO 3000 SLEEP STUDIES PER YEAR. OKAY. IT’S RUN BY A NEUROLOGIST, JAMIE JOHNSTON. SHE’S A WONDERFUL MEDICAL DIRECTOR. IT’S IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BRIGHAM. AND I JUST THINK I WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE, IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS, GO AND TRY TO GET A FORMAL DIAGNOSIS. BUT IT’S A COMMITMENT. IT’S AN INVESTMENT. IT’S A WORTHY INVESTMENT. REMEMBER, YOU MAY HAVE THE REASON YOU’RE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE IS REFRACTORY TO MEDS. COULD BE SLEEP APNEA. COULD BE OBESITY, CAN BE LINKED TO SLEEP APNEA, WORSENING DIABETES. A LOT OF THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, IT IMPAIRS OUR ABILITY TO DRIVE MORE ACCIDENTS. SO THERE’S LOTS OF BENEFITS. WOW. ALL THOSE ALL THO
Doctor on research showing that sleep apnea diagnoses could double by the end of the 21st century
Updated: 5:06 PM EDT Jul 1, 2025
South Shore Health’s Dr. Todd Ellerin says a study recently showed that there was a 45% increase in obstructive sleep apnea in the hottest parts of the world. Ellerin said the study shows that hot weather can disrupt our sleep cycle, leading to shallower breathing and frequent awakening.
NEEDHAM, Mass. —
South Shore Health’s Dr. Todd Ellerin says a study recently showed that there was a 45% increase in obstructive sleep apnea in the hottest parts of the world.
Ellerin said the study shows that hot weather can disrupt our sleep cycle, leading to shallower breathing and frequent awakening.