Over the past decade, researchers have linked the noise of airports and road traffic to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death. Apparently, the noise causes a tension reaction in the brain that causes the release of adrenaline and cortisol, increases blood pressure and ignites the endothelium, the lining of blood, heart and lymph vessels. From the Atlantic Ocean:
This dysfunctional endothelium mixes with blood flow and affects numerous other processes that, when impaired, contribute to a range of cardiovascular diseases including high blood pressure, plaque buildup in arteries, obesity and diabetes.
Studies on humans and mice show that the endothelium does not work as effectively after a few days of exposure to aircraft noise at night, suggesting that loud noise is not just a source of concern for people who are already at risk for heart and metabolic problems. Healthy adults who were subjected to train recordings during their slumber almost immediately impaired vascular function, according to a 2019 study published by [University Medical Center of Mainz cardiologist Thomas] Münzel and his colleagues in Basic research in cardiology.
“We were surprised that young people, after hearing these sounds for just one night, had endothelial dysfunction,” says Münzel, co-author of a 2020 survey on noise and cardiovascular health. Annual Public Health Review. “We always thought it was something that takes years to develop.”
image: knight Faris (CC BY-SA 4.0)