Noisy workplaces can more than double the risk of serious heart disease – and young male smokers are in particular danger of becoming ill, researchers warned today.
Research published online in Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that US workers in persistently noisy workplaces were between two to three times as likely to have serious heart problems as their peers in quiet workplaces.
British experts say the stress of enduring constant noise may be the main cause of illness.
More than 6,000 employees aged 20 and over, who had been part of the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2004, were grouped into those who endured persistent loud noise at work, to the extent that it was difficult to talk at normal volume – for at least three months – and those who did not.
One in five workers said they had worked in a noisy workplace for an average of almost nine consecutive months. Most of them were men with an average age of 40, who tended to weigh and smoke more – both of which are risk factors for heart disease.
Researchers found that workers in persistently noisy workplaces were between two to three times more likely to have serious heart problems as their peers in quiet workplaces. The under 50s, of whom there were 4,500 in the sample, were at even greater risk: three and four times as likely to have angina or coronary artery disease or to have had a heart attack.
Although blood tests of these workers did not indicate high levels of cholesterol or inflammatory proteins, diastolic blood pressure was higher than normal, which is an independent predictor of serious heart problems.
The authors suggest that consistent exposure to loud noise may be as strong an external stressor as sudden strong emotion or physical exertion.
“This study suggests that excess noise exposure in the workplace is an important occupational health issue and deserves special attention,” they conclude.
At the British Heart Foundation, senior cardiac nurse June Davison said: "Some people find sustained noise very taxing and stressful and that could explain this link between noisy workplaces and an increased risk of heart
disease.
"If you’re stressed you are more likely to snack on unhealthy foods, smoke and miss out on your 30 minutes of physical activity a day – a sure-fire recipe for an unhealthy heart.
"We also know that for people who already have heart disease, occasionally stress can trigger chest pains or even a heart attack."
She added: "So if you feel stressed or anxious, it’s important to learn how to relax and make positive changes to help you cope with the stress."
Occup Environ Med (2010) doi:10.1136/oem.2010.055269.
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