HELSINKI - Exposure to road traffic noise during the night may be associated with subtle but measurable changes in cholesterol levels and blood lipid markers in adults. This is according to a large European study involving the University of Oulu.
The University of Finland said in a press release on Wednesday that the study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Research, analysed data on more than 270,000 adult participants from three large European population projects: the UK Biobank, the Rotterdam Study and the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966.
Researchers modelled night-time traffic noise around participants' residences using national noise maps. The analysis focused specifically on nighttime hours because that is when people are more likely to be at home and noise can disrupt sleep.
Using advanced analytical methods, the team measured 155 biomarkers from blood samples, allowing them to link long-term exposure to nighttime noise to specific metabolic changes detectable in the blood.
The study found that changes in blood lipid parameters began to occur from around 50 decibels and became more pronounced as the noise level increased. Nighttime traffic noise above 55 decibels was associated mainly with higher levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, often referred to as „bad“ cholesterol, but also with other fat-related markers, including fatty acids and cell membrane lipids.
These indicators are generally considered to be factors related to cardiovascular and metabolic health. For most biomarkers, researchers have observed what is known as an exposure-response relationship - the higher the noise level, the more pronounced the changes.
PhD student Yiyan He said the results suggest that nighttime traffic noise may affect metabolic health „in a subtle but consistent way“. While the changes are small for an individual, given the large number of people exposed to noise, even small shifts can have a significant impact on public health.
Professor Sylvain Sebert added that the results help to elucidate biological mechanisms that may explain the previously observed link between traffic noise and cardiovascular disease as well as related metabolic disorders. Environmental noise, he said, should be seen as a real health risk, not just a nuisance.
The researchers also said that reducing nighttime traffic noise could help reduce the associated metabolic impacts, and called for the introduction of noise abatement measures in urban planning, transport and building design, with an emphasis on a quieter sleep environment.
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