Effects of environmental noise exposure on 24-h ambulatory vascular properties in adults

Exposure to environmental noise has been associated with hypertension, but the related mechanism of vascular structural changes is unclear. This repeated-measure study investigated the effects of noise exposure on the 24-h ambulatory vascular structural properties in 66 adults aged 18–32 years. Individual noise exposure and personal vascular parameters were measured simultaneously in all subjects. Linear mixed-effects regressions were used to estimate the effects. A 1-A-weighted decibel (dBA) increase was significantly associated with the transient effects of 1.39 (95% confidence interval: 1.07, 1.79) %mL/mmHg in arterial compliance at nighttime but −1.70 (−2.05, −1.10) kdynes·s/cm5 in arterial resistance during the daytime and −2.38 (−3.44, −1.64) kdynes·s/cm5 in arterial resistance at nighttime among all subjects. Such effects were observed in arterial distensibility only during the daytime after the 30-min (−1.84 [−2.61, −1.29] %/mmHg) and 60-min (−2.06 [−2.95, −1.44] %/mmHg) time-lagged noise exposures. For 24-h environmental noise, a 1-dBA increment was significantly associated with a sustained increase of 1.25 (1.10, 1.42) %mL/mmHg in arterial compliance but a decrease of 2.12 (−2.51, −1.80) kdynes·s/cm5 in arterial resistance. Environmental noise exposure may have transient and sustained effects on adult vascular properties.

► Exposure to environmental noise is associated with changes in vascular properties.
► Noise may increase arterial compliance and decrease arterial resistance at nighttime.
► The time-lagged noise exposure decreases arterial distensibility at daytime.
► Noise levels increase arterial compliance and decrease arterial resistance over 24-h.