Traffic noise isn’t just annoying, it’s also bad news for your heart. Studies have found that the noise from roads, trains, and planes can up the risk of heart problems like cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says over 1.6 million years of healthy life are lost each year in Western Europe because of traffic noise.
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Especially at night, traffic noise messes with our sleep, ramps up stress hormones, and causes extra strain on our blood vessels and brains. This can lead to more inflammation and high blood pressure, making heart issues more likely.
Scientists from Denmark, the USA, Switzerland, and Germany teamed up to dig into how traffic noise affects our heart health beyond just what we hear.
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In a study published in the journal of the American Heart Association, Circulation Research, researchers looked at lots of studies and found that for every 10 decibels (dBA) of traffic noise, the risk of heart problems jumps by 3.2%.
They also explored how noise can mess with our genes, our body clocks, and our metabolism, making heart trouble more likely.
The researchers confirmed that: “Transportation noise serves as a significant environmental factor contributing to the development of various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular conditions, including chronic coronary artery disease, acute coronary syndrome, arterial hypertension, stroke, and heart failure.”
As per the study, nighttime exposure to aircraft noise has even been linked to stress-induced cardiomyopathy, also known as Takotsubo syndrome.
Stress responses can increase blood pressure, potentially impairing vascular function.
“With an increasing proportion of the population exposed to harmful traffic noise even after the Covid-19 pandemic has ended, noise control efforts and noise reduction laws are of great importance for future public health,” said lead scientist, Dr Thomas M¼nzel from the University Medical Center Mainz.
He emphasised that we need better laws and strategies to cut down on noise and protect our heart.
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