Associations between road traffic noise level, road traffic noise annoyance and high blood pressure in the HYENA study
Abstract and Figures
The HYENA study is a multi-centred study regarding the effects of aircraft noise and road traffic noise on blood pressure (BP) which was funded by the European Community. Study subjects were 4,861 males and females aged between 45 and 70 years, who had lived for at least 5 years in the vicinity of any of six major European airports. Aircraft noise contours and road traffic noise levels were modelled using the Integrated Noise Model (INM) and national calculation methods. The noise levels were linked to each participant's home address (most exposed facade) using graphical information systems (GIS). Noise annoyance was assessed using the 11-point ICBEN scale. High blood pressure was determined by measurements of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, anti-hypertensive medication and self-reported doctor diagnosed hypertension. The focus here is on the effects of road traffic noise. The road traffic noise level (LAFm, 24 hours) and noise annoyance due to road traffic noise were both significantly associated with high blood pressure. The association between road traffic noise and high blood pressure was stronger for the road noise level than for the road noise annoyance (90th percentile vs. 10th percentile of the exposure distributions).
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... Studies on the association between community noise exposure and cardiovascular risk when subjected to a meta-analysis for deriving a common exposure-response curve provide the following findings when the diagnosis was limited to myocardial infarction [Babisch, 2008). 10 Subsequent reviews have identified a relationship that might be used for this type of analysis -e.g. ...
... Given the large number of papers selected from the review (332) those identifying exposure-response relationships available from meta-analyses and authoritative reviews were selected for further analysis as these would provide the most robust evidence to identify possible SOAELs and LOAELs. Resources were focused on cardiovascular disease given its public health importance and because it was several years since the most recent meta-analysis on this outcome was published [Babisch, 2008]. Furthermore, the aforementioned meta-analysis did not give useful information on impact of noise exposure below 60 dB. ...
... Polynomial fits of the exposure-response relationship between road traffic noise and myocardial infarction. The left graph (3a) refers case-control or cohort studies (analytic studies), (3b) to cross-sectional, case-control or cohort studies (descriptive and analytic studies)[Babisch, 2008] ...
The United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) commissioned AECOM Ltd to carry out a programme of research to provide, where possible, robust and well supported information that might be used to define SOAELs and LOAELs for the more commonly encountered noise sources and related health effects that will assist in the implementation of the Noise Policy Statement for England (NPSE).
An extensive review of the literature was carried out and recommendations are published in the report.
... We evaluated 40 studies [26,28,30,32,33,[35][36][37]40,43,46,[49][50][51][55][56][57][60][61][62][63][65][66][67][68]70,[73][74][75][76][77][78][80][81][82][83][84][85][86][88][89][90][91][92][94][95][96][97][98][99]101,102,105,106,109,110,112,113,117,118,120,123,126,127,[130][131][132][133][134][135]148] that investigated the impact of noise from air, road, and rail traffic and wind turbines on the risk of hypertension. Appendix B presents the separate risk of bias tables. ...
... per 10 dB (LDEN) for the association between road traffic noise and the prevalence of hypertension. The studies were carried out within the range of approximately 20-80 dB (LDEN) [28,30,32,33,[35][36][37]43,49,50,[55][56][57]61,62,[66][67][68]70,75,77,80,82,85,88,89,92,[96][97][98][99]109,110,117,118,120,123,126,127,[130][131][132]135,149]. For aircraft noise (nine studies), we estimated an RR of 1.05 (95% CI 0.95-1.17) ...
... For aircraft noise (nine studies), we estimated an RR of 1.05 (95% CI 0.95-1.17) per 10 dB (LDEN) (comprising 60,121 residents, including 9487) [28,40,46,50,61,62,74,83,85,94,95,99,102,105,112,113,150]. For rail traffic noise (five studies), we derived an RR of 1.05 (95% CI: 0.88-1.26) ...
To update the current state of evidence and assess its quality, we conducted a systematic review on the effects of environmental noise exposure on the cardio-metabolic systems as input for the new WHO environmental noise guidelines for the European Region. We identified 600 references relating to studies on effects of noise from road, rail and air traffic, and wind turbines on the cardio-metabolic system, published between January 2000 and August 2015. Only 61 studies, investigating different end points, included information enabling estimation of exposure response relationships. These studies were used for meta-analyses, and assessments of the quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). A majority of the studies concerned traffic noise and hypertension, but most were cross-sectional and suffering from a high risk of bias. The most comprehensive evidence was available for road traffic noise and Ischeamic Heart Diseases (IHD). Combining the results of 7 longitudinal studies revealed a Relative Risk (RR) of 1.08 (95% CI: 1.01-1.15) per 10 dB (LDEN) for the association between road traffic noise and the incidence of IHD. We rated the quality of this evidence as high. Only a few studies reported on the association between transportation noise and stroke, diabetes, and/or obesity. The quality of evidence for these associations was rated from moderate to very low, depending on transportation noise source and outcome. For a comprehensive assessment of the impact of noise exposure on the cardiovascular and metabolic system, we need more and better quality evidence, primarily based on longitudinal studies.
... Studies on the association between community noise exposure and cardiovascular risk when subjected to a meta-analysis for deriving a common exposure-response curve provide the following findings when the diagnosis was limited to myocardial infarction [Babisch, 2008). 10 Subsequent reviews have identified a relationship that might be used for this type of analysis -e.g. ...
... Given the large number of papers selected from the review (332) those identifying exposure-response relationships available from meta-analyses and authoritative reviews were selected for further analysis as these would provide the most robust evidence to identify possible SOAELs and LOAELs. Resources were focused on cardiovascular disease given its public health importance and because it was several years since the most recent meta-analysis on this outcome was published [Babisch, 2008]. Furthermore, the aforementioned meta-analysis did not give useful information on impact of noise exposure below 60 dB. ...
... Polynomial fits of the exposure-response relationship between road traffic noise and myocardial infarction. The left graph (3a) refers case-control or cohort studies (analytic studies), (3b) to cross-sectional, case-control or cohort studies (descriptive and analytic studies)[Babisch, 2008] ...
... WHO (2011) exposure-response model was used to estimate the risk of highly annoyed (%HA) and highly sleep-disturbed (%HSD) and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) under this study due to its reliability compared to other models in literature. This is because the WHO models were developed based on outcomes from large cohort epidemiological studies (city/nationwide studies) and also via systematic review and meta-analysis study outcomes (Babisch et al. 2008;Bodin et al. 2009;Brink 2011). These noise exposure-response models express the relationships in the form of logistic or polynomial statistical models between selfreported noise annoyance levels (as dependent variables) from the affected population and noise exposure levels (as independent variables) generated from other sources like traffic, urban residential, industrial, or aircraft sources (Clark et al. 2006;Floud et al. 2011;WHO 2018). ...
Hospital-noise levels can induce physiological responses and affect sleep quality, which could contribute to cardiovascular-related health problems. Till date, high-resolution hospital noise exposure assessment studies have not received much attention in Oman. This study aims at assessing sound pressure levels across hospital wards and intensive care unit (ICU) rooms to determine annoyance and potential health effects based on perception and risk estimates. An indoor exposure assessment using high precision noise sensors was conducted in a female medical ward (FMW), isolated ward (SLW), emergency ward (EMW), and intensive care unit (ICU) in a public hospital in Muscat city, Oman. Self-administered questionnaire was randomly distributed among respondents using both online and field survey approach to ascertain annoyance, health effects, and potential risks associated with exposure. The study found that 24-h noise levels (LAeq) ranged from 55.2 to 61.7 dB(A) in the hospital wards and ICU rooms, which exceeded WHO’s hospital indoor rooms critical limit of 35 dB(A) by 58–76%. A total of 150 participants took part in the survey. Among the respondents, 53% reported moderate annoyance at the hospital wards, while 56% felt sensitivity to the noise levels. Noise annoyance was reported by the majority of the patients across the various wards and emergency rooms as causing slight annoyance (50%) and intermittent sleep disturbances (49%). The majority (73%) of the medical staff have complained that the current noise levels affect overall work performance (p = 0.004), while 70% of them have further complained of it as a cause of workplace distraction (p = 0.011). Logistic binary regression analysis has revealed that the complaint of noise sensitivity has a positive association with noise levels in VCW (OR: 1.54; 95% CI: 0.92–2.58), and reported loss of concentration by the medical staff also associated with noise levels at the EMW (OR: 1.61; 95% CI: 0.65–4.01). Quantitative risk estimates showed that both the percentages of highly annoyed (HA) persons (16%), and highly sleep-disturbed (HSD) persons (9%) were very high in FMW, while ICU was found to have the lowest risk. However, the greater number of the respondents (87%) believed that there are possibilities of mitigating (p < 0.001) the current noise levels.
Traditionally, railway stations have been hubs primarily for waiting and transit.
Large railway stations attract a wide range of passengers and citizens, and these buildings are likely to have a complex acoustic environment. Previous studies have focused on reducing people’s exposure to excessive sound levels caused by transportation, but more research is needed to assess people’s preferences and ensure their psychophysical wellbeing. The aim of this study was to explore the complex aspects of the sound environment in large railway stations that contribute to acoustic comfort. On-site measurements and an acoustic comfort survey were performed at a case study site in Harbin, China. The results showed a significant positive correlation between the subjective comfort evaluations and objective measurements of the sound pressure level and reverberation time. Differences in dominant sound sources in different spaces lead to different evaluations of acoustic comfort. People prefer broadcast sound, but its intelligibility needs to be improved. When the density of people increases, the preference for speech sounds and activity sounds decline rapidly. With regard to demographic and social factors, older people and people with higher incomes and education levels are more tolerant of the environment.
As railway transportation has become modernized, large railway stations now play an important role in civic architecture. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of sound sources on the sound environment and acoustic comfort in such an extra-large space. Based on subjective and objective measurements of a typical railway station in China that has an extra-large space and multiple sound sources, the effects of sound sources in different functional zones were studied. The overall acoustic comfort and sound pressure levels were related to the sonic composition of the sound sources. The roles of various individual sound sources were investigated, including the speech sounds of other passengers in the seating area, the speech sounds of staff, the sounds of placing luggage in the security scan machine in the security check area, the sounds of a ticket machine in the ticket lobby, and the speech sounds of restaurant workers. The sound sources that have dominant impacts on the survey participants' evaluations of acoustic comfort were determined. In terms of acoustic comfort, broadcast sound was the most preferable, whereas mechanical noise and luggage noise were the least preferable. The sound levels of speech, the intelligibility of both broadcast and speech sounds, and the loudness of the three dominant sound sources exhibited a linear correlation with the sound pressure level. In terms of the effect of the sound characteristics on acoustic comfort, the sound level of speech was the dominant factor. Overall, acoustic comfort can be effectively improved by better planning of the combination and arrangement of sound sources.
Traffic noise measurement as well as social survey were conducted at different locations along the National Highway No.17 at Mangalore, India. Noise measurements were taken at 2 min and 5 min intervals. The measured data were analyzed in the form of L eq value. From the survey results, perception of the people and consequently the relationships between annoyances due to traffic noise and other variables were established among residents, general public and shop owners with the help of correlation analysis. Three prior models were constructed based on the strong correlation coefficient for different degree of annoyance for different parts of a day.
Introduction: Air Pollution and Atherosclerosis-An Intriguing ConceptAtherosclerosis-Chronic and Acute ProcessesPathways Connecting PM and AtherosclerosisEpidemiological Study Design in Air Pollution EpidemiologyExposure AssessmentAssessment of Subclinical AtherosclerosisConsideration of Bias and ConfoundingStudies and ResultsConclusions and OutlookReferences
This paper compares the use of perceived and measured noise in a hedonic housing model. Although in theory the use of subjective variables is recommended, most empirical applications use measured noise variables. Merging different databases, we obtain a sample of about 2800 apartments located in Geneva, Switzerland, containing both measured and perceived noise data. We make the measured and perceived noise data comparable and analyse their performance by fitting alternatively three hedonic models. We find that for moderate to high noise levels the measured noise safely approximates its perception.
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.
An increasing number of people live near airports with considerable noise and air pollution. The Hypertension and Exposure to Noise near Airports (HYENA) project aims to assess the impact of airport-related noise exposure on blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular disease using a cross-sectional study design. We selected 6,000 persons (45-70 years of age) who had lived at least 5 years near one of six major European airports. We used modeled aircraft noise contours, aiming to maximize exposure contrast. Automated BP instruments are used to reduce observer error. We designed a standardized questionnaire to collect data on annoyance, noise disturbance, and major confounders. Cortisol in saliva was collected in a subsample of the study population (n = 500) stratified by noise exposure level. To investigate short-term noise effects on BP and possible effects on nighttime BP dipping, we measured 24-hr BP and assessed continuous night noise in another subsample (n = 200). To ensure comparability between countries, we used common noise models to assess individual noise exposure, with a resolution of 1 dB(A). Modifiers of individual exposure, such as the orientation of living and bedroom toward roads, window-opening habits, and sound insulation, were assessed by the questionnaire. For four airports, we estimated exposure to air pollution to explore modifying effects of air pollution on cardiovascular disease. The project assesses exposure to traffic-related air pollutants, primarily using data from another project funded by the European Union (APMoSPHERE, Air Pollution Modelling for Support to Policy on Health and Environmental Risks in Europe).
Association between noise annoyance and high blood pressure Preliminary results from the HYENA study Proceedings of the 36th International Congress and Exhibition on Noise Control Engineering. Inter-noise 2007, Istanbul, Paper No. in07-133 Acoustics 08 Paris 3370
- W Babisch
Babisch, W., et al., Association between noise annoyance and high blood pressure. Preliminary results from the HYENA study. Proceedings of the 36th International Congress and Exhibition on Noise Control Engineering. Inter-noise 2007, Istanbul, Paper No. in07-133, Turkish Acoustical Society, Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Mechanical Engeneering: Istanbul (2007). Acoustics 08 Paris 3370
Associations between road traffic noise, aircraft noise and noise annoyance. Preliminary results of the HYENA study
- W Babisch
W. Babisch, et al., Associations between road traffic
noise, aircraft noise and noise annoyance. Preliminary
results of the HYENA study. Proceedings of the 19th
International Congress on Acoustics, ICA 2007,
Madrid, Paper No. ENV-04-001, Sociedad Espanola
de Acoustica: Madrid (2007).
Association between noise annoyance and high blood pressure. Preliminary results from the HYENA study
- W Babisch
Babisch, W., et al., Association between noise
annoyance and high blood pressure. Preliminary
results from the HYENA study. Proceedings of the
36th International Congress and Exhibition on Noise
Control Engineering. Inter-noise 2007, Istanbul,
Paper No. in07-133, Turkish Acoustical Society,
Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Mechanical
Engeneering: Istanbul (2007).