Risk Associations between Vehicular Traffic Noise Exposure and Cardiovascular Diseases: A Residential Retrospective Cohort Study

Elisa Bustaffa; Olivia Curzio; Gabriele Donzelli; Francesca Gorini; Nunzia Linzalone; Marco Redini; Fabrizio Bianchi; Fabrizio Minichilli

doi:10.3390/ijerph191610034

Risk Associations between Vehicular Traffic Noise Exposure and Cardiovascular Diseases: A Residential Retrospective Cohort Study

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 14;19(16):10034. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191610034.

Authors

Elisa Bustaffa¹, Olivia Curzio¹, Gabriele Donzelli², Francesca Gorini³, Nunzia Linzalone², Marco Redini⁴, Fabrizio Bianchi¹, Fabrizio Minichilli¹

Affiliations

¹ Unit of Environmental Epidemiology and Disease Registries, Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
² Unit of Environmental Epidemiology and Biocomplexity Laboratory, Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
³ Unit of Epidemiology of Rare Diseases and Congenital Anomalies, Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
⁴ Municipality of Pisa, Via degli Uffizi 1, 56100 Pisa, Italy.

Abstract

Environmental noise can induce detrimental health effects such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). The relationship between vehicular traffic noise pollution and CVD was investigated through a retrospective residential cohort study in the city of Pisa. Four exposure classes were defined for noise pollution, using noise propagation maps. The association between noise exposures and cause-specific mortality or hospitalization of the subjects of the cohort was calculated using the hazard ratio (HR) for night and day through a multiple time-dependent and sex-specific Cox regression adjusting for age, the socio-economic deprivation index, and traffic air pollution. Mortality excess for CVD and risk trends for a 1 decibel noise increment were observed among the most exposed women (mortality: HRnight_class4 1.15 (1.03-1.28); Trend_night 1.007 (1.002-1.012); HRday_class4 1.14 (1.02-1.27); Trend_day 1.008 (1.003-1.013)), particularly for ischaemic disease (mortality: Trend_night 1.008 (0.999-1.017); Trend_day 1.009 (0.999-1.018)) and cerebrovascular disease (mortality: HRnight_class3 1.23 (1.02-1.48), HRday_class3 1.24 (1.03-1.49)). Hospitalization analyses confirm mortality results. A decreased risk for hospitalization was also observed among the most exposed men (HRday_class4 0.94 (0.88-1.01), particularly for ischaemic disease (HRnight_class4 0.90 (0.80-1.02); HRday_class4 0.86 (0.77-0.97)) and cerebrovascular disease (HRnight_class4 0.89 (0.78-1.01)). Authors recommend the adoption of prevention measures aimed at mitigating noise and the activation of a monitoring of the risk profile in the Pisa population updating both the residential cohort and health data.

Keywords: cardiovascular diseases; hazard ratio; morbidity; mortality; residential cohort study; vehicular traffic noise exposure.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air Pollution*
Cardiovascular Diseases* / epidemiology
Cerebrovascular Disorders*
Cohort Studies
Environmental Exposure / adverse effects
Environmental Exposure / analysis
Female
Humans
Male
Noise, Transportation* / adverse effects
Retrospective Studies

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Municipality of Pisa Town through the Convention with the Institute of Clinical Physiology of the National Research Council of Italy (IFC-CNR) (project code 8009 2 October 2019).