Authors:
Maria Foraster, PhD | Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute | Switzerland
Ikenna C. Eze, PhD | Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute | Switzerland
Emmanuel Schaffner | Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute | Switzerland
Danielle Vienneau, PhD | Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute | Switzerland
Harris Héritier | Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute | Switzerland
Simon Endes | Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Division of Sports and Exercise Medicine, University of Basel | Switzerland
Franziska Rudzik | Centre for Chronobiology, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel | Switzerland
Laurie Thiesse | Centre for Chronobiology, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel | Switzerland
Reto Pieren | Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology | Switzerland
Christian Schindler, Prof. Dr. | Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute | Switzerland
Schmidt-Trucksäss Arno | Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Division of Sports and Exercise Medicine, University of Basel | Switzerland
Mark Brink, PD Dr. | Swiss Federal Office for the Environment | Switzerland
Cajochen Christian | Centre for Chronobiology, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel | Switzerland
Jean Marc Wunderli, PhD | Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology | Switzerland
Martin Röösli, Prof. Dr. | Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute | Switzerland
Nicole Probst-Hensch, Prof. Dr. | Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute | Switzerland
Transportation noise levels and characteristics may impact arterial stiffness, a predictor of cardiovascular disease.
We evaluated the association of long-term road, railway, and aircraft noise levels (Lden), total noise intermittency (IR), and total number of noise events (NE) with brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) using a cross-sectional design. We measured baPWV in 2775 adults from a Swiss cohort in 2010/2011. We assigned Ldensource, and total day- and night-time NEtime and IRtime (IR: 0%: constant, 100%: highly intermittent noise) at the most exposed dwelling façade, using 2011 Swiss noise models. Associations were analyzed with multivariable linear mixed regression.
Medians (interquartile ranges) were baPWV: 13.4 (3.1) m/s, Ldenroad: 54.2 (10.6) dB, Ldenrail: 30.0 (8.1) dB, and Ldenair: 32.8 (8.0) dB. Both Ldenrail and NEnight were associated with baPWV, independently of other noise sources and air pollution. The association with Ldenrail was greater with IRnight > 80% and with reported daytime sleepiness.
Long-term exposure to railway noise levels, particularly in intermittent night-time noise environments, and night-time noise events, mainly related to road noise, may impair arterial stiffness more than other noise characteristics.