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Residential exposure to transportation noise in Denmark and incidence of dementia: national cohort study

M. L. Cantuaria, F. Waldorff, L. Wermuth, E. R. Pedersen, A. Poulsen, J. Thacher, O. Raaschou-Nielsen, M. Ketzel et al.

British medical journal, 2021

103 participants · 103 citations

Abstract

Abstract Objective To investigate the association between long term residential exposure to road traffic and railway noise and risk of incident dementia. Design Nationwide prospective register based cohort study. Setting Denmark. Participants 1 938 994 adults aged ≥60 years living in Denmark between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2017. Main outcome measures Incident cases of all cause dementia and dementia subtypes (Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and Parkinson’s disease related dementia), identified from national hospital and prescription registries. Results The study population included 103 500 participants with incident dementia, and of those, 31 219 received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, 8664 of vascular dementia, and 2192 of Parkinson’s disease related dementia. Using Cox regression models, 10 year mean exposure to road traffic and railway noise at the most (Ldenmax) and least (Ldenmin) exposed façades of buildings were associated with a higher risk of all cause dementia. These associations showed a general pattern of higher hazard ratios with higher noise exposure, but with a levelling off or even small declines in risk at higher noise levels. In subtype analyses, both road traffic noise and railway noise were associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease, with hazard ratios of 1.16 (95% confidence interval 1.11 to 1.22) for road Ldenmax ≥65 dB compared with <45 dB, 1.27 (1.22 to 1.34) for road Ldenmin ≥55 dB compared with <40 dB, 1.16 (1.10 to…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 103 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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