Sodiq Ojuroungbe
Public health experts have warned that frequent exposure to loud road noise could increase the risk of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases.
According to the experts, studies have even confirmed the link between loud road noise and some cardiovascular health conditions
The experts explained that being exposed to wailing sirens, aggressive horns, and roaring engines of giant diesel trucks is harmful and complicates some health conditions.
Speaking about a new study published on March 22, 2023, in the journal JACC which found that busy road noise was linked to an increased risk of having high blood pressure — a top risk factor for heart attack and stroke, the experts noted that countries including Nigeria must start addressing the social menace.
According to the study, people living near road traffic noise were more likely to develop hypertension.
The study also postulated that there is a ‘dose-dependent relationship’ between traffic noise and cardiovascular conditions, noting that the greater the amount of road noise, the greater the risk.
Speaking with Reportr Door Healthwise on the study, a professor of public health, Prof. Tanimola Akande, and a public health physician at Ogun general hospital, Dr. Tunji Olaoluwa, stressed that noise is a slow killer which reportedly caused an increased risk of disease and death.
The experts noted that there are additional indications that the risk of a stroke increases by 11 per cent, the risk of developing diabetes increases by 11 per cent, and the risk of heart flickering by 6 per cent.
Prof. Akande said persistent exposure to environmental noise can lead to an increase in blood pressure among hypertensive patients.
He said, “Persistent exposure to road noise from sirens, aggressive horns, and heavy trucks can affect the health of those exposed. Acute effects include distraction, panic attacks, irritability, and annoyance.
“Long exposure can lead to noise-induced hearing loss. Traffic noise may lead to headaches, sleep disturbance, stress, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of heart disease. Noise-induced hearing is caused by exposure to loud noise particularly if the exposure is persistent.
“Noise in itself will not lead to stroke or heart attack but it does increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases like stroke and heart attack. A study found that stroke risk increases by 14 per cent per 10 dB increase in the noise level of traffic noise.”
On how to prevent noise pollution, the professor said, “The most important preventive measure is to reduce noise exposure. There is a need to increase awareness of the health effects of traffic noise. The behaviour of drivers that frequently blast horns can then be modified.
“Regular maintenance of vehicle engines, as well as regulated use of very old vehicles, can reduce noise emissions. Where necessary, policies and rules can be put in place to prevent such noise. Where this is difficult to do, individuals can protect themselves using ear plugs and ear muffs.”
Dr. Olaoluwa, however, said exposure to loud noise triggers anxiety and stress, adding that continued exposure increases a person’s sensitivity to stress and is at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases.
He added, “Pople living with noise pollution may feel irritable, on edge, frustrated, or angry. If a person feels they cannot control the amount of noise in their environment, its impact on their mental health intensifies.
“This is an interesting study because it examines a relationship that we typically don’t think of when thinking about high blood pressure — which is the impact of noise level and air pollution on high blood pressure.
“Theoretically, this study makes sense because elevated blood pressure is a result of greater stress on the body brought on by noise or pollution. Long-term loud stimulation may result in greater bodily stress.
“The reality is that there is a correlation between noise and cardiovascular diseases. People that are exposed to it are at more risk of getting those diseases. When you are stressed, automatically, your BP will go up and a high BP can cause a lot of damage and bring out a lot of medical conditions.”
The study highlighted that environmental exposures, including above-threshold noise levels, have the potential to increase heart disease risk.
Titled; “Road Traffic Noise and Incidence of Primary Hypertension: A Prospective Analysis in UK Biobank”, the researchers analyzed UK Biobank data from nearly 250,000 people, ages 40 to 69, who started the study without hypertension.
After following participants for a median of 8.1 years, the researchers found that more than 21,000 developed high blood pressure. They discovered that people living near road traffic noise were more likely to develop hypertension.
The study also found that higher long-term residential road traffic noise exposure was associated with an increased risk of incident primary hypertension in a dose-response relationship.
A linear trend of exposure-response curves was found, which would provide supportive evidence of the exposure-response relationship of road traffic noise on incident primary hypertension.
Part of the study report reads, “It seems plausible that high levels of exposure to air pollution render the body more sensitive to the hazardous effects of road traffic noise and vice versa. There are some potential mechanisms for the synergistic effects.
“Road traffic noise and air pollution are considered as triggers of hypertension, and they share some overlapping mechanisms, such as via vascular dysfunction, peripheral vasoconstriction, systemic inflammation, and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis activation, which may result in elevated blood pressure, and over the long-term lead to hypertension
“Furthermore, it is concerning to find that the population who were residing in the most deprived areas had a significantly higher risk of incident primary hypertension than their counterparts in the least deprived areas.
“Socioeconomic status could be a surrogate for environmental and non-environmental risk factors that have not been directly or fully measured, and changing the physical environment in these regions might lead to greater absolute benefits and should be prioritized. Thus, the findings may suggest a policy of targeted protection from traffic noise exposure in potentially susceptible populations.”
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