Chronic exposure to workplace loud noise raises likelihood of high blood pressure
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Key takeaways:
- Every year of workplace exposure to noise between 96 dB and 111 dB increased the likelihood of developing hypertension.
- The association was independent of age, BMI and smoking status.
Years of exposure to loud noise in the workplace may increase the likelihood of developing high blood pressure, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology Asia Conference.
“While the mechanism is still not well explored, it is thought that the stress response by the body to chronic sound exposure causes hormonal imbalances that gradually leads to a permanent elevation of blood pressure,” Golam Dastageer Prince, MBBS, MPH, medical officer at Directorate General of Health Services in Dhaka, Bangladesh, said in a press release. “High blood pressure impacts more than a billion people worldwide and just 1 in 5 have it under control, yet it is a major cause of premature death. In addition to treating the high blood pressure through appropriate means, we must find ways to mitigate the exposure to the noise if we want to reduce the cardiovascular risk of these patients.”
To investigate the impact of workplace noise on BP, Prince and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study that involved surveying 289 adult power loom weavers (mean age, 34 years) in Araihazar, Bangladesh, and their work environment.
In-person interviews were conducted to gather data from participants regarding sociodemographic, behavior, dietary and family history factors. BP, height, weight and workplace noise were also measured.
The participants were mostly married men, and the average exposure duration to noise from the power looms was nearly 16 years.
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, noise of 91 dB — like a gas lawn mower — to 112 dB — a loud concert — can be dangerous to hearing.
The power loom weavers were exposed to noise that ranged from 96 dB to 111 dB, with an average of 105.45 dB.
In the present study, Prince and colleagues observed a positive correlation between systolic and diastolic BP and noise exposure duration (R for systolic = 0.32; R for diastolic = 0.366; P for both < .01).
Overall, 31.5% of the cohort had hypertension and 53.3% had prehypertension.
After adjusting for age, BMI and smoking status, the researchers estimated an individual’s odds for hypertension increased 10% for every year of exposure to noise such as that recorded around the power looms (adjusted OR = 1.1; P < .05),
“As the study focused on workers exposed to more than 85 decibels noise for long periods of time, any profession causing workers to experience similar exposure might experience similar blood pressure impacts,” Prince said in the release. “We definitely need more exploratory studies to reveal more information about the potential mechanisms and long-term health outcomes.”
References:
- ACC. Blood pressure levels impacted by chronic occupational noise exposure. https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2024/08/14/16/39/BP-Levels-Impacted-By-Chronic-Occupational-Noise-Exposure. Published Aug. 15, 2024. Accessed Aug. 15, 2024.
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Loud noise dangers. https://www.asha.org/public/hearing/loud-noise-dangers/. Accessed Aug. 15, 2024.
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Prince GD. Prevention and health promotion. Presented at: American College of Cardiology Asia Conference; Aug. 16-18, 2024; Delhi, India.
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