Living near a noisy road is linked to higher risk of serious heart conditions, study finds
Living close to a busy road, railway or flight route has been linked to a higher risk of serious heart conditions even among people who do not suffer disrupted sleep, a study has found.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, US, analysed data from more than 100,000 adults with an average age of 57, as well as government transport noise data.
They set out to examine whether transportation noise-related heart risks differed between people who get normal and abnormal amounts of sleep.
They found exposure to transport noise above 50 decibels, which is similar to moderate rainfall or typing on a keyboard, was associated with an 8 to 10 per cent increased risk of developing high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.
People exposed to higher noise levels also had a greater risk of a group of serious, life-threatening heart and blood vessel problems, even after accounting for age, sex and sleep quality.
The strongest association was seen for high cholesterol, followed by high blood pressure and then diabetes.
Research has found that living close to a busy road, railway or flight route has been linked to a higher risk of serious heart conditions
High blood pressure affects 16 million people in the UK and is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, stroke and heart attacks.
‘The key finding is that the relationship between noise exposure and cardiovascular disease was similar among people with and without unhealthy sleep, suggesting healthy sleep is not protective against adverse heart impacts of noise exposure,’ says lead study author Joseph Nguyen.
‘We expected disordered sleep would influence the relationship between noise exposure and heart disease. It was surprising to find sleep health appeared to play no role.
‘This study adds to growing evidence that environmental factors such as air pollution, noise, artificial light, chemical pollutants and climate-related events may be contributing to the significant burden of cardiovascular disease as a leading cause of death.’
He added that people exposed to outside noise should consider reducing it with double glazing, making the quietest areas of the home their bedrooms, and using earplugs while sleeping.
