Turn down the volume to improve heart health

By Piriya Mahendra

Individuals who live in an area that is exposed to high road traffic noise have a significantly increased risk for myocardial infarction (MI), researchers suggest.

The authors say that the exact reason for this relationship is unknown, but may be due to increased stress and sleep disturbances associated with high traffic noise.

Mette Sørensen (Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen) and team found that for each 10-decibel (dB) increase in noise levels, the risk for MI increased by 12%, after adjustment for various risk factors including exposure to nitrogen oxide (NOx).

This association was the same for two exposure windows: at diagnosis, and at 5 years preceding diagnosis, showing a linear dose-response relationship throughout the exposure range of this study.

The association between road traffic noise and MI was still significant even after further adjustment for blood pressure, cholesterol, and self-reported diabetes.

The findings, reported in PLoS One, also show that participants who lived in areas with more than 60 dB of road traffic noise at baseline had a significantly higher body mass index (BMI), lower educational attainment, smoked more frequently, and ate less fruit and vegetables than participants who lived in areas exposed to less than 60 dB of road traffic noise.

They were also less physically active and had a higher prevalence of diabetes.

Previous research into the combined effects of noise and air pollution caused by traffic on ischemic heart disease risk has been conducted, but the results have been inconsistent.

The current study included a population-based cohort of 57,053 people aged 50‑64 years at enrolment in 1993‑1997. Between enrolment and 2006, 1600 cases of first-ever MI occurred.

Exposure to road traffic noise and air pollution (measured using NOx levels) was estimated for all participants from residential address history. The mean follow-up time was 9.8 years.

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