Hypertension and Exposure to Noise Near Airports: the HYENA Study

TLDR

An increasing number of people are exposed to aircraft and road traffic noise, and hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor, so even small environmental contributions may impact public health. The HYENA study aimed to assess the relationship between aircraft or road traffic noise near airports and hypertension risk. The study measured blood pressure and collected health, socioeconomic, and lifestyle data from 4,861 adults aged 45–70 who had lived near six major European airports for at least five years, and estimated noise exposure with high‑resolution models (1‑dB for aircraft, 5‑dB for UK road traffic, 250×250 m for aircraft, 10×10 m for road traffic). Significant exposure‑response relationships were observed: a 10‑dB increase in night‑time aircraft noise raised hypertension odds by 1.14, and high road‑traffic noise (>65 dB) increased odds by 1.54 in men, indicating excess hypertension risk from long‑term noise exposure.

Abstract

An increasing number of people are exposed to aircraft and road traffic noise. Hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and even a small contribution in risk from environmental factors may have a major impact on public health.The HYENA (Hypertension and Exposure to Noise near Airports) study aimed to assess the relations between noise from aircraft or road traffic near airports and the risk of hypertension.We measured blood pressure and collected data on health, socioeconomic, and lifestyle factors, including diet and physical activity, via questionnaire at home visits for 4,861 persons 45-70 years of age, who had lived at least 5 years near any of six major European airports. We assessed noise exposure using detailed models with a resolution of 1 dB (5 dB for United Kingdom road traffic noise), and a spatial resolution of 250 x 250 m for aircraft and 10 x 10 m for road traffic noise.We found significant exposure-response relationships between night-time aircraft as well as average daily road traffic noise exposure and risk of hypertension after adjustment for major confounders. For night-time aircraft noise, a 10-dB increase in exposure was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.14 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-1.29]. The exposure-response relationships were similar for road traffic noise and stronger for men with an OR of 1.54 (95% CI, 0.99-2.40) in the highest exposure category (> 65 dB; p(trend) = 0.008).Our results indicate excess risks of hypertension related to long-term noise exposure, primarily for night-time aircraft noise and daily average road traffic noise.