Living in a Busy City Center? You're Increasing Your Risk of Heart Attacks

Long-term exposure to air pollution and excessive noise from busy traffic increases the risk of developing hypertension, a significant risk factor for disease and premature death, including heart disease.

The study, published yesterday in the European Journal of Cardiology, examined 41,000 people living in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Spain. Information on the participants' blood pressure levels was collected through initial tests when joining the study and a follow-up examination several years later. All participants had normal blood pressure at the beginning of the study, but by the time of the follow-up, 15% had developed high blood pressure requiring medication.

Alongside monitoring the participants' blood pressure data, researchers tracked air pollution in the areas where they lived. The result: Residents in the most polluted areas were 22% more likely to develop high blood pressure compared to those living in the least polluted areas.

Another risk factor, though less severe, was nighttime traffic noise: Researchers found that people living on noisy streets, where nighttime noise levels hovered around 50 decibels, were 6% more likely to develop high blood pressure compared to those living on quieter streets where nighttime noise levels did not exceed 40 decibels.

"A particularly important aspect of the study is that health damage was observed even in people living in places where air pollution levels are lower than the threshold required in Europe," the researchers note. "This means that the current legislation does not sufficiently protect the European population from the effects of air pollution. Given that high blood pressure is an important factor in cardiovascular diseases, the study's results have significant implications for public health and demonstrate the need for stricter regulations regarding air quality."

How does air pollution and nighttime noise affect the development of hypertension? Researchers hypothesize that air pollution causes inflammation and toxin buildup in the body, and an imbalance in the functioning of the nervous system. Noise, on the other hand, likely causes harm by disrupting the functions of the nervous system and the hormonal system.

The most polluted areas observed in the study were in Germany and Spain, while Scandinavia had poorer air quality. However, the noisiest areas at night were in Spain and Sweden.