A study shows that traffic noise may increase the risk of hypertension.
If you live near a busy road, you might feel like the constant roar of engines, loud honking, and blaring sirens are raising your blood pressure. Now, a study has confirmed this.
Previous research has indicated a link between noisy road traffic and an increased risk of hypertension.
Traffic noise can increase blood pressure.
However, these studies lacked strong evidence and it was unclear whether noise or air pollution played a greater role.
The new research indicates that exposure to road traffic noise itself can indeed promote the risk of hypertension.
Assistant Professor Jing Huang from the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences at the School of Public Health, Peking University (China) is the lead author of the study.
She stated: “We were somewhat surprised to find the link between road traffic noise and hypertension to be very clear, even after adjusting for air pollution.”
Using data from the UK Biobank, the researchers analyzed data from over 240,000 individuals (ages 40 to 69) who initially did not have hypertension. They estimated road traffic noise based on residential addresses and a European modeling tool called the Common Noise Assessment Method.
Using follow-up data over an average of 8.1 years, they examined the number of individuals who developed hypertension. The researchers found not only that those living close to road traffic noise were more likely to develop hypertension, but also that the risk increased with the “dose” of noise exposure.
Those exposed to both traffic noise and air pollution had the highest risk of hypertension. This suggests that air pollution also plays a role.
“Road traffic noise and air pollution related to traffic coexist around us,” Ms. Huang said, “It is essential to explore the independent effects of road traffic noise rather than the overall environment.”
According to the researcher, these findings may support public health measures as they confirm that exposure to road traffic noise is harmful to our blood pressure.
From this, we can devise policies to mitigate the adverse impact of road traffic noise. For example, we could establish stricter noise guidelines, improve road conditions and urban design, and invest in advanced vehicle technologies to reduce noise.
This is considered the first large-scale study that directly addresses the impact of road traffic noise on the incidence of newly diagnosed hypertension.
