Being bothered by airport noise is bad enough but a new study says it can also boost blood pressure — even when sleeping.
“We know that noise from air traffic can be a source of irritation, but our research shows that it can also be damaging for people’s health, which is particularly significant in light of plans to expand international airports,” co-author Dr. Lars Jarup, from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Imperial College London, said in a prepared statement.
His findings were also reported in the February issue of a health magazine.
“Nighttime aircraft noise can affect your blood pressure instantly and increase the risk of hypertension. It is clear to me that measures need to be taken to reduce noise levels from aircraft, in particular during nighttime, in order to protect the health of people living near airports,” Mr Jarup said.
“Elevations in systolic and diastolic blood pressure are important modifiable risk factors for heart attack and stroke,” said Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a professor of cardiology, at the University of California, Los Angeles.
This study is consistent with earlier studies, which showed that environmental noise can significantly increase systolic and diastolic blood pressure during sleep, Mr Fonarow added.
“The study adds to the literature that noxious and stressful exposures have adverse cardiovascular consequences,” said Harlan M. Krumholz, a professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. He added:
“Whether all people are affected similarly and whether this response correlates with a higher risk of heart disease is not clear, but it seems sensible to assume that a noisy environment is not good for health,” Mr Krumholz said.
Report by David Wilkening
