Aircraft noise exposure and hypertension

Increasing traffic by all modes of transport has led to a general rise in noise pollution. The European Environment Agency recently compared data on aircraft noise between 2007 and 2012, and observed that in Europe there had been a general increase in people exposed to aircraft noise.1

Over the last decade, a number of epidemiological studies have found traffic noise to be associated with cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, ischaemic heart disease and stroke.2–5 Although the evidence is increasing, well-designed studies within this area are still needed. Most studies on traffic noise and hypertension have focused on road traffic noise, and a meta-analysis from 2012 based on 24 studies found a small, but statistically significant association between road traffic noise and hypertension.3 It is, however, unclear whether these results can readily be applied to aircraft noise, as only...

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