Prolonged exposure to a stressful stimulus (noise) as a cause of raised blood-pressure in man

Abstract

Systolic and diastolic blood-pressure was significantly higher in 44 male industrial workers with a noise-induced auditory impairment (greater than or equal to 65 dB at 3000, 4000, or 6000 Hz) than in 74 males of the same age with normal hearing. Moreover, significantly more individuals with hypertension (resting recumbent blood-pressure greater than or equal to 160/100 mm Hg) were found in the group with noise-induced loss of hearing. It is suggested that replaced and prolonged exposure to a stressful stimulus (industrial noise severe and prolonged enough to cause a permanent loss of hearing at the relevant frequencies) may be a contributing factor to the rise in blood-pressure through a mechanism involving structural adaption of blood-vessels in response to repeated peaks of raised blood-pressure.