Transportation noise and risk of stroke: a nationwide prospective cohort study covering Denmark
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Studies on transportation noise and incident stroke are few and inconclusive. We aimed to investigate associations between road-traffic and railway noise and the risk of incident stroke in the entire Danish population.
METHODS
We estimated road-traffic and railway noise (Lden) at the most and least exposed façades for all residential addresses across Denmark (2.8 million) for the period 1990-2017. Based on this, we estimated the 10-year time-weighted mean noise exposure for 3.6 million Danes aged >35 years, of whom 184 523 developed incident stroke during follow-up from 2000 to 2017. Analyses were conducted using Cox proportional-hazards models, with adjustment for various individual- and area-level demographic and socio-economic covariates collected from registries and air pollution [fine particulate matter with particles with a diameter of ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2)].
RESULTS
A 10-dB increase in the 10-year mean road-traffic noise at the most exposed façade was associated with an incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 1.04 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-1.05] for all strokes. For road-traffic noise at the least exposed façade, the IRR per 10 dB was 1.03 (95% CI: 1.02-1.04) for all strokes. Railway noise was not associated with a higher risk of stroke.
CONCLUSION
Road-traffic noise increased the risk of stroke. These findings add to the evidence of road-traffic noise as a cardiovascular risk factor.
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.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2018
- Improving sleep quality leads to better mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
- Community transmission and viral load kinetics of the SARS-CoV-2 delta (B.1.617.2) variant in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals in the UK: a prospective, longitudinal, cohort study
- Occupation and risk of severe COVID-19: prospective cohort study of 120,075 UK Biobank participants
- Clinical presentation and virological assessment of confirmed human monkeypox virus cases in Spain: a prospective observational cohort study
- Comparison of the characteristics, morbidity, and mortality of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza: a nationwide, population-based retrospective cohort study
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.