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 (Ldensource), total day- and nighttime NEtime and IRtime (percent fluctuation=0%, none or constant noise; percent 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 baPWV=13.4 (3.1) m/s; Ldenair (57.6% exposed)=32.8 (8.0) dB; Ldenrail (44.6% exposed)=30.0 (8.1) dB; Ldenroad (99.7% exposed): 54.2 (10.6) dB; NEnight=123 (179); NEday=433 (870); IRnight=73% (27); and IRday=63.8% (40.3). We observed a 0.87% (95% CI: 0.31, 1.43%) increase in baPWV per IQR of Ldenrail, which was greater with IRnight>80% or with daytime sleepiness. We observed a nonsignificant positive association between Ldenroad and baPWV in urban areas and a negative tendency in rural areas. NEnight, but not NEday, 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.

Figure 1.

Association between annual average source-specific noise levels (Lden) and arterial stiffness (baPWV) across different subgroups, per interquartile range (IQR) change of the respective noise indicator (road: 10.6 dB, railway: 8.1 dB, aircraft: 8 dB). Multiexposure linear mixed models included an interaction term between Lden and the corresponding subgroup and were adjusted for sex, age, $\text{sex}\times \text{age}$, education, smoking status, pack-years smoked, secondary smoke, alcohol consumption, diet, body mass index (BMI), ${\text{BMI}}^2$, physical activity, mean arterial pressure (MAP), $\text{MAP}\times \text{sex}$, nitrogen dioxide, all source-specific Lden levels and their noise truncation indicators, and a random intercept by study area. **p-value of interaction $<0.05$, *p-value of interaction $<0.100$. ^ap-value for $\text{trend}=0.124$, p-value of interaction $\left(>80\text{versus}\le 80\right)=0.053$.