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Exposure to noise from the road increases the risk of heart attack
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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The impact of noise from the road for an extended period of time increases the risk of a heart attack, as well as various diseases of the cardiovascular system, according to a new study by a group of Danish scientists published in the latest issue of PLoS ONE.
Recently, a group of scientists also tried to analyze the combined impact factors - road noise and air pollution, but the results in some parts of the study were quite contradictory. The study involved 50,614 people in Denmark. As a result, a special scale was developed, according to which if a person lives near a road, depending on the noise that it creates the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, it can be different.
So, if a person lives by the road, and the volume of cars passing by is 10 decibels, the risk of developing heart and vascular diseases increases by 12% compared to normal rates. Interestingly, according to the traditional sound volume classification, the volume of 10 decibels is equivalent to the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. In this case, proportional to every 10 decibels increases by 12% and risk. Interestingly, the level of 40 decibels, which is currently the norm in many countries around the world, for the time from 7 am to 11 pm, as it is not difficult to calculate, increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 48%. The norm of 55 decibels, which is considered suitable for office premises, increases the risk by 66%, respectively.
At the same time, all the above conclusions were obtained by Danish researchers purely statistically-they can not explain the interrelationship between two seemingly unrelated factors from a scientific point of view. It was suggested that the reason lies in the sense of tension that a person unconsciously experiences because of traffic noise, as well as sleep disorders, which they may encounter because of cars passing by.
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