Prevention & lipidsCross-sectional study
Higher Aircraft Noise Exposure Is Linked to Worse Heart Structure and Function by Cardiovascular MRI
- Cross-sectional study
- UK Biobank
- adjusted generalized linear models
Authors' conclusion
Higher aircraft noise exposure associates with adverse LV remodeling, potentially due to noise increasing the risk of obesity and hypertension.
Study context
- Population
- UK Biobank participants living near 4 major UK airports with cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) from 2014 and no self-reported hearing difficulties
- Participants
- 3,635 participants
- Exposure
- Higher vs lower aircraft noise exposure
- Outcome
- CMR metrics of heart structure and function
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Greater left ventricular (LV) mass with higher Lnight
7% (95% CI: 4%-10%)
Thicker LV walls with higher Lnight (normal septal-to-lateral wall thickness ratio)
4% (95% CI: 2%-5%)
Lower global circumferential strain with higher Lnight
8% (95% CI: 4%-12%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Higher Lnight | Lower Lnight |
|---|---|---|
| Exposure prevalence | 3% | Not reported in the abstract |
- Exposure prevalence: Higher Lden 8%
MACE risk linked to CMR metrics (separate UK Biobank (UKB) subcohort, n = 21,360)
- 7% greater LV mass: greater MACE risk
- 32%
- Lower global circumferential strain: higher MACE risk
- 27%
- Typical CMR abnormalities with higher Lnight: hypothetical MACE risk
- 4 times higher
Lden analyses
- Findings broadly similar to Lnight
Mediation by BMI and hypertension
- Proportion of associations mediated
- 10% to 50%
Continuous exposure (did not move home)
- Worst CMR phenotype
Original publication
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it