Associations of road traffic noise, blood pressure and heart rate in three harmonized European cohorts
Regular paper
University Medical Center Groningen
Monday 1 june, 2015, 15:40 - 16:00
0.4 Brussels (189)
Abstract:
Background and aim:
Exposure to road traffic noise may increase risk of hypertension. Ambient air
pollution may be a confounder in this relationship, as both noise and air
pollution originate from traffic and both may be associated with hypertension.
We investigated associations of road traffic noise with blood pressure and
heart rate, while taking into account exposure to ambient air pollution, in
three European cohorts using a harmonized approach.
Methods:
Data were obtained from LifeLines (the Netherlands), EPIC-Oxford (UK) and HUNT
(Norway). Road traffic noise exposure was assessed using a European noise
model based on Common Noise Assessment Methods in Europe (CNOSSOS-EU).
Exposure to ambient fine particles (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was
estimated using a European land use regression model. Both systolic and
diastolic blood pressure and heart rate measurements were conducted by trained
medical professionals within each participating cohort. Confounding factors as
measured by questionnaires were harmonized according to the DataSHaPER
methodology. Federated analysis of harmonized data for the three cohorts will
be conducted at the individual level using the DataSHIELD approach.
Results:
Data from over 100,000 participants, aged 18-100 years, were available for the
current study. Median annual average day-evening-night levels of road traffic
noise (Lden) were 54 dB(A) (LifeLines), 55 dB(A) (EPIC-Oxford), and 49 dB(A)
(HUNT). Results from pooled linear regression analyses adjusted for sex, age,
and ambient air pollution will be presented at the conference.
Conclusions:
Pooling harmonized data from multiple European cohorts allows the use of large
sample sizes with a wide noise exposure range. Findings from this study will
contribute to the knowledge about harmful effects of road traffic noise on
cardiovascular health.