Higher aircraft noise exposure is linked to worse heart structure and function by cardiovascular MRI
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background
Aircraft noise is a growing concern for communities living near airports.
Objectives
This study aimed to explore the impact of aircraft noise on heart structure and function.
Methods
Nighttime aircraft noise levels (Lnight) and weighted 24-hour day-evening-night aircraft noise levels (Lden) were provided by the UK Civil Aviation Authority for 2011. Health data came from UK Biobank (UKB) participants living near 4 UK major airports (London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham) who had cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging starting from 2014 and self-reported no hearing difficulties. Generalized linear models investigated the associations between aircraft noise exposure and CMR metrics (derived using a validated convolutional neural network to ensure consistent image segmentations), after adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and environmental confounders. Mediation by cardiovascular risk factors was also explored. Downstream associations between CMR metrics and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were tested in a separate prospective UKB subcohort (n = 21,360), to understand the potential clinical impact of any noise-associated heart remodeling.
Results
Of the 3,635 UKB participants included, 3% experienced higher Lnight (≥45 dB) and 8% higher Lden (≥50 dB). Participants exposed to higher Lnight had 7% (95% CI: 4%-10%) greater left ventricular (LV) mass and 4% (95% CI: 2%-5%) thicker LV walls with a normal septal-to-lateral wall thickness ratio. This concentric LV remodeling is relevant because a 7% greater LV mass associates with a 32% greater risk of MACE. They also had worse LV myocardial dynamics (eg, an 8% [95% CI: 4%-12%] lower global circumferential strain which associates with a 27% higher risk of MACE). Overall, a hypothetical individual experiencing the typical CMR abnormalities associated with a higher Lnight exposure may have a 4 times higher risk of MACE. Findings were clearest for Lnight but were broadly similar in analyses using Lden. Body mass index and hypertension appeared to mediate 10% to 50% of the observed associations. Participants who did not move home during follow-up and were continuously exposed to higher aircraft noise levels had the worst CMR phenotype.
Conclusions
Higher aircraft noise exposure associates with adverse LV remodeling, potentially due to noise increasing the risk of obesity and hypertension. Findings are consistent with the existing literature on aircraft noise and cardiovascular disease, and need to be considered by policymakers and the aviation industry.
Aircraft noise is a growing concern for communities living near airports.
Objectives
This study aimed to explore the impact of aircraft noise on heart structure and function.
Methods
Nighttime aircraft noise levels (Lnight) and weighted 24-hour day-evening-night aircraft noise levels (Lden) were provided by the UK Civil Aviation Authority for 2011. Health data came from UK Biobank (UKB) participants living near 4 UK major airports (London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham) who had cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging starting from 2014 and self-reported no hearing difficulties. Generalized linear models investigated the associations between aircraft noise exposure and CMR metrics (derived using a validated convolutional neural network to ensure consistent image segmentations), after adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and environmental confounders. Mediation by cardiovascular risk factors was also explored. Downstream associations between CMR metrics and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were tested in a separate prospective UKB subcohort (n = 21,360), to understand the potential clinical impact of any noise-associated heart remodeling.
Results
Of the 3,635 UKB participants included, 3% experienced higher Lnight (≥45 dB) and 8% higher Lden (≥50 dB). Participants exposed to higher Lnight had 7% (95% CI: 4%-10%) greater left ventricular (LV) mass and 4% (95% CI: 2%-5%) thicker LV walls with a normal septal-to-lateral wall thickness ratio. This concentric LV remodeling is relevant because a 7% greater LV mass associates with a 32% greater risk of MACE. They also had worse LV myocardial dynamics (eg, an 8% [95% CI: 4%-12%] lower global circumferential strain which associates with a 27% higher risk of MACE). Overall, a hypothetical individual experiencing the typical CMR abnormalities associated with a higher Lnight exposure may have a 4 times higher risk of MACE. Findings were clearest for Lnight but were broadly similar in analyses using Lden. Body mass index and hypertension appeared to mediate 10% to 50% of the observed associations. Participants who did not move home during follow-up and were continuously exposed to higher aircraft noise levels had the worst CMR phenotype.
Conclusions
Higher aircraft noise exposure associates with adverse LV remodeling, potentially due to noise increasing the risk of obesity and hypertension. Findings are consistent with the existing literature on aircraft noise and cardiovascular disease, and need to be considered by policymakers and the aviation industry.
Date Issued
2025-02-11
Date Acceptance
2024-09-26
Citation
Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2025, 85 (5), pp.454-469
ISSN
0735-1097
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Start Page
454
End Page
469
Journal / Book Title
Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Volume
85
Issue
5
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Authors. Published by Esevier on behalf of the American College of Cardiology Foundation. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ )
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39772360
PII: S0735-1097(24)09797-3
Subjects
aircraft noise
cardiac hypertrophy
cardiac remodeling
worse systolic function
Humans
Male
Female
Middle Aged
Aircraft
Noise, Transportation
Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine
Aged
United Kingdom
Prospective Studies
Heart
Adult
Environmental Exposure
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Date Publish Online
2025-01-08