Latest study of more than 50,000 people, about the effects of traffic noise pollution, it has found a ‘clear relationship’ between noise and heart attacks, reports journal PLoS ONE.
Each ten per cent rise in traffic volume comes with a 12 per cent higher risk of heart attack.
Researchers say the link could be due to noise causing stress and sleep disturbances.
According to Dr. Mette Sorenson, of the Danish Cancer Society, ‘In this study residential exposure to road traffic noise was associated with a 12 per cent higher risk of myocardial infarction (MI) per ten decibel exposure to noise, showing a clear dose response relationship.’
Suggesting one possible explanation he said: ‘Sleep disturbances can contribute to cardiovascular risk, leading to the hypothesis that exposure to noise during the night might be more harmful than daytime exposure.
‘The sleep structure generally becomes more fragmented with age and elderly people are thus more susceptible to sleep disturbances.’
Dr. Sorensen said it was possible that changes in lifestyle caused by stress and disrupted sleep, has played the part in the increased of tobacco smoking, thus potentially linked a stronger association between traffic noise and MI among smokers.
‘However we found indications of a high effect of road traffic noise on MI among never smokers,’ he added.
‘Present study shows a positive association between residential exposure to road traffic noise and risk for MI.’
Dr. Sorensen also pointed out that other factors could be at play for those who mainly lived in urban areas.