Long-term aircraft noise exposure comes with health hazards

Long-term exposure to aircraft noise can potentially increase the prevalence of hypertension and accelerate arterial stiffening, as reported in a study.

Already, aircraft noise exposure has been associated with increased arterial stiffness, as measured by pulse wave velocity. In the current study, researchers assessed the long-term effects of noise exposure as well as the impact of a sudden decline in such an exposure during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown on blood pressure and pulse wave velocity.

The analysis included 74 participants exposed to long-term day-evening-night aircraft noise level >60 dB and 75 unexposed individuals. Hypertension prevalence over the 5-year follow-up markedly increased in the exposed group (42 percent vs 59 percent; p=0.048) but not in the unexposed group.

In the exposed group, the decline in noise exposure since April 2020 occurred in parallel with a substantial drop in noise annoyance, 24-hour systolic (121.2 to 117.9 mm Hg; p=0.034) and diastolic (75.1 to 72.0 mm Hg; p=0.003) blood pressure, and pulse wave velocity (10.2 to 8.8 m/s; p=0.001). Less pronounced reductions in the same parameters were observed in the unexposed group.

Changes in office and night-time diastolic blood pressure and pulse wave velocity significantly differed between the two groups. In particular, the exposed group showed a much greater reduction in pulse wave velocity compared with the unexposed group following adjustment for covariates (−1.49 vs −0.35 m/s; p=0.017).

Meanwhile, the observed difference in insomnia prevalence between the two groups at baseline was no longer significant at follow-up.

The findings suggest that although long-term aircraft noise exposure may increase the prevalence of hypertension and accelerate arterial stiffening, a reduction in exposure may reverse these unfavourable effects.