FLIGHT PATH NOISE MAY RAISE BLOOD PRESSURE
Being subjected daily to the noise of aircraft flying overhead may be risk factor for high blood pressure, suggests research in the British Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Researchers studied two groups of people aged between 19 and 80: 266 people living close to Stockholm Arlanda Airport; and almost 2700 inhabitants living in another part of greater Stockholm. In areas subjected to average noise levels above 55 decibels or to maximum noise levels over 72 decibels, the prevalence of high blood pressure was 20 per cent compared with 14 per cent among those exposed to less noise. After adjusting for other factors likely to have an impact on the findings, people who lived in the highest noise zones were 80 per cent more likely to have high blood pressure. The greatest effects seemed to be in areas of low average but high maximum noise. The authors conclude that aircraft noise may act as a stressor, raising blood pressure.
GIZMORAMA - HEAVY SHIFT 11/13
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Tuesday, November 13, 2001
Flight paths are linked to hypertension
Reuters News Service
LONDON -- Apart from shattered nerves and interrupted sleep, living under
or near a flight path could also cause high blood pressure and increase the
risk of heart disease, researchers said Tuesday.
Anyone who lives near a busy airport can testify to the annoyance caused
by droning aircraft noise, particularly early morning and late-night arrivals
or departures.
Swedish scientists have shown it could also be damaging health.
"We found that there was an increase in hypertension in people living in the areas near Stockholm airport with the highest noise levels," Dr. Lars Jarup, now of the Imperial College School of Medicine in London, said in an interview.
"There is an increased risk with increasing noise levels so people exposed to the highest level of noise had the highest increase (in blood pressure)," he added.
Jarup and his colleagues from the Karolinska Institute and Stockholm County Council in Sweden suspect aircraft noise may increase hormone levels, which in turn raises blood pressure.
"This is a new finding. As always there needs to be more detailed research to confirm it," the specialist in environmental medicine added.
The researchers studied 266 people living near Arlanda Airport in the Swedish capital and 2,700 residents in other parts of the city. All the participants filled in questionnaires about their health, how long they had lived in the area, and their exercise and smoking habits.
Using environmental data on noise levels and air traffic statistics, the scientists compared the volunteers' blood pressure to the amounts of aircraft noise they were exposed to.
They found that people living in areas with the highest noise levels were 80 percent more likely to have high blood pressure, which in turn leads to heart disease -- a leading cause of death in industrialized countries.
"Exposure to aircraft noise may be a risk factor for hypertension," Jarup and his colleagues said in a report in the the Occupational and Environmental Medicine journal.
With many major airports considering expansion to handle increasing air traffic, the researchers said their findings could have important policy implications.
"These results may be useful for decisions on new guidelines, future regulations, and strategies to prevent environmental noise," said Jarup.
Aircraft noise raises residents' blood
Sydney Morning Herald Nov 13, 2001
Aircraft noise may increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease even among people who live miles from airports, according to a study out today.
Researchers in Sweden found that people subjected to the highest noise levels were 80 per cent more likely than those from less noisy areas to suffer high blood pressure.
But an association was also seen in places exposed to moderate amounts of aircraft noise above 55 decibels.
The findings suggest that residents of large swathes of London may face a heightened risk of high blood pressure due to noise from jets flying in and out of Heathrow.
Writing in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the scientists say the cause of the effect is likely to be stress.
They point out that high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, which therefore may also be linked to aircraft noise.
Anti-noise campaigners said the study would help them fight plans for a new fifth terminal at the airport.
John Stewart, chairman of the group HACAN ClearSkies, said: "It doesn't surprise us. The findings bear out the anecdotal evidence we have. Many people contact us to say they are suffering from stress and illness which they put down to aircraft noise.
"The Government defines 57 decibels as the point of 'onset of community annoyance', but the World Health Organisation says it's anywhere between the early 50s to 55.
"Our own surveys have found higher noise levels than are officially admitted. In areas of London such as Vauxhall and Camberwell where noise levels are supposed to be at 57 decibels we have measured levels in excess of 60.
"Where people live close to Heathrow, in places like Hatton Cross, you are talking about levels in the 70s and up to the 80s. It makes life pretty dreadful."
The researchers, led by Dr Mats Rosenlund, from Stockholm County Council's Department of Environmental Health, compared 266 people living near Arlanda Airport in the Swedish capital with 2,700 in other parts of the city.
In areas subjected to average noise levels above 55 decibels, or peak levels of more than 72 decibels, the prevalence of high blood pressure was 20 per cent compared with 14 per cent in less noisy places.
After adjustments to account for lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, smoking and type of housing, people in the highest noise zones had an 80 per cent increased risk of high blood pressure.
There was no difference between men and women, but older people and those with good hearing were more likely to suffer high blood pressure in noisy areas.
The scientists wrote: "our findings suggest that community exposure to aircraft noise may cause hypertension (high blood pressure). This implies that aircraft noise might be a risk factor also for cardiovascular disease."
Sweden is proposing guideline limits of 55 decibels for average aircraft noise and 70 decibels for the maximum level.
In Britain, aircraft are exempt from most noise regulation. The rules in force apply to aircraft taking off, and set very high limits of around 90 decibels, said Mr Stewart.
He said a fifth Heathrow terminal would mean no respite from noisy aircraft for many Londoners.
"At the moment there are fewer planes in the late morning and early afternoon, but a fifth terminal would close that gap," said Mr Stewart.
"There would be no escape from aircraft flying over every 90 seconds. Many, many people living miles from the airport would be subjected to noise levels of 55 decibels."
Editor's Note:
As with other stories we have published, some pro-hub proponents will try to claim that these stories show that we are anti-airport, or that we want to shut the airport down. This is not true. We want our airport to act in a responsible manner. We consider the proposed FedEx hub to be an irresponsible project.
We are also very much pro-growth and pro-jobs, and we are also very much pro-smart growth. The FedEx hub is not a very smart idea at all, and comes with too high of a price for the citizens of our area to pay.