A new study that has been published in an issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has found out that noise interferes with the body on a cellular level, so much so that it can cause heart diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes.
In this study, researchers reviewed several cases of novel translational noise studies that provided an insight into what factors could have led to impaired vascular function. They also looked at evidence of noise-induced cardiovascular disease and the non-auditory effects of noise and how it impacts the cardiovascular system.
According to the evidence that the researchers gathered, noise causes a stress response, which happens due to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and a rise in hormone level, which will then initiate sequela (a condition that is the consequence of previous disease or injury) and result in vascular impairment.
Such stress response increases the risk of the release of anxiety hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, which are responsible for the body’s “fight or flight” syndrome and can cause the heart to pump more quickly and increase blood pressure.
Moreover, the researchers found out that among the kinds of noise, it is transportation noise that is the most likely cause of heart disease risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes because noise is linked to oxidative stress, autonomic imbalance, metabolic abnormalities, and vascular dysfunction.
As such, individuals who reside near noisy roads, airports, and train tracks are more susceptible to heart disease, researchers said, as the experts are of the belief that constant background drone increases the level of stress hormones to concerning heights.
The researchers concluded that mitigation strategies like traffic management and regulation, the creation of low-noise tires, quieter brakes on trains, and air traffic curfews could help in lessening the risk factors that transportation noise might have in contributing to cardiovascular disease.
Thomas Munzel, lead author of the review and director of the Department of Internal Medicine at University Medical Center Mainz in Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, reiterated the need for powerful initiatives and important legislation to prevent the occurrence of noise pollution so as to safeguard public health, especially that of noise pollution caused by the transportation sector.
“Road traffic is by far the greatest contributor to traffic noise pollution, and frequently used abatement procedures are reduced speed limits, quiet road surfaces, and noise barriers along major roads. However, because of the extent and the temporal increase in exposure, other strategies, such as traffic management and regulation and development of low-noise tires, are greatly needed,” the researchers said.
“Air transport has increased for many years, and strategies for reducing exposure include restriction or curfew during the night, where noise has shown to be especially hazardous,” they added. (Related: Noise pollution is bad for your health: Tips for how you can mitigate background noise to protect your neurology.)
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