Exposure to Road, Railway, and Aircraft Noise and Arterial Stiffness in the SAPALDIA Study: Annual Average Noise Levels and Temporal Noise Characteristics

Abstract

Background:

The impact of different transportation noise sources and noise environments on arterial stiffness remains unknown.

Objectives:

We evaluated the association between residential outdoor exposure to annual average road, railway, and aircraft noise levels, total noise intermittency (IR), and total number of noise events (NE) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) following a cross-sectional design.

Methods:

We measured baPWV (meters/second) in 2,775 participants (49–81 y old) at the second follow-up (2010–2011) of the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA). We assigned annual average road, railway, and aircraft noise levels ( ${\text{Lden}}_{\text{source}}$ ), total day- and nighttime ${\text{NE}}_{\text{time}}$ and ${\text{IR}}_{\text{time}}$ ( $\text{percent}\text{fluctuation}=0\%$ , none or constant noise; $\text{percent}\text{fluctuation}=100\%$ , high fluctuation) at the most exposed façade using 2011 Swiss noise models. We applied multivariable linear mixed regression models to analyze associations.

Results:

Medians [interquartile ranges (IQRs)] were $\text{baPWV}=13.4$ (3.1) m/s; ${\text{Lden}}_{\text{air}}$ $(57.6\%\text{exposed})=32.8$ (8.0) dB; ${\text{Lden}}_{\text{rail}}$ $(44.6\%\text{exposed})=30.0$ (8.1) dB; ${\text{Lden}}_{\text{road}}$ (99.7% exposed): 54.2 (10.6) dB; ${\text{NE}}_{\text{night}}=123$ (179); ${\text{NE}}_{\text{day}}=433$ (870); ${\text{IR}}_{\text{night}}=73\%$ (27); and ${\text{IR}}_{\text{day}}=63.8\%$ (40.3). We observed a 0.87% (95% CI: 0.31, 1.43%) increase in baPWV per IQR of ${\text{Lden}}_{\text{rail}}$ , which was greater with ${\text{IR}}_{\text{night}}>80\%$ or with daytime sleepiness. We observed a nonsignificant positive association between ${\text{Lden}}_{\text{road}}$ and baPWV in urban areas and a negative tendency in rural areas. ${\text{NE}}_{\text{night}}$ , but not ${\text{NE}}_{\text{day}}$ , was associated with baPWV. Associations were independent of the other noise sources and air pollution.

Conclusions:

Long-term exposure to railway noise, particularly in an intermittent nighttime noise environment, and to nighttime noise events, mainly related to road noise, may affect arterial stiffness, a major determinant of cardiovascular disease. Ascertaining noise exposure characteristics beyond average noise levels may be relevant to better understand noise-related health effects. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1136