Two studies show that noise pollution negatively affects heart health. Including noise exposure in heart risk assessments could improve predictions and help prevent heart attacks by identifying high-risk patients earlier.
A French study found that urban noise is linked to worse outcomes one year after a first heart attack. These findings suggest that reducing noise pollution is essential to lower the burden of heart disease.
The DECIBEL-MI study found that young heart attack patients (50 or younger) were exposed to more noise than the general population. This suggests that noise could increase the risk of early heart attacks, even in those with low traditional risk factors. Adding noise exposure to risk models helps identify at-risk people and improve prevention.
The DECIBEL-MI study in Bremen, Germany, involved 430 heart attack patients aged 50 or younger. It was found that these patients had higher residential noise exposure than the general population. Those with low traditional risk factors, like smoking or diabetes, faced more noise exposure.
Including noise in risk assessments can better identify those at risk for heart attacks. A separate French study, ENVI-MI, showed that night-time urban noise exposure was linked to worse outcomes one year after a first heart attack.
The French observatory database studied 864 heart attack survivors, tracking them for one year. About 19% experienced a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), like heart failure or stroke. Daily noise levels at their homes were moderate, averaging 56 dB(A) during the day and 49 dB(A) at night.
A 10 dB(A) increase in night-time noise raised the risk of MACE by 25%. If more extensive studies confirm these findings, noise reduction could become part of prevention strategies for heart attack patients.
Research presented at ESC Congress 2024 shows that urban noise significantly impacts heart health.
