Transportation noise linked to higher risk of heart conditions, even with healthy sleep
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Adults exposed to high levels of residential transportation noise from traffic (cars and buses), as well as planes and trains, faced a higher risk of serious heart-related events and a higher likelihood of developing cardiovascular risk factors, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, even among people with healthy sleep, according to new, independent, preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2026. The meeting will take place Nov. 6–9 in Chicago.
"The key finding of our study is that the relationship between noise exposure and cardiovascular disease events, and the number of cardiovascular risk factors developed, was similar among people with and without unhealthy sleep, suggesting that healthy sleep is not protective against adverse heart impacts of noise exposure," said lead study author Joseph Nguyen, M.D., an internal medicine resident physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center in Boston.
"We expected that disordered sleep would influence the relationship between noise exposure and heart disease. It was surprising to find that sleep health appeared to play no role.
"Road traffic noise has become a significant issue; however, research indicates that noise from other forms of transportation, such as aircraft noise, can also increase the risk of heart disease. The World Health Organization states that noise is a public health risk and has set limits on noise exposure to help reduce these effects," Nguyen said.
Researchers analyzed medical records and lifestyle survey data for more than 100,000 adults, as well as U.S. government transportation noise data, to examine whether transportation noise-related heart risks differed between people with normal and abnormal sleep. Specifically, they examined average noise levels above 45–50 decibels, which is similar to moderate rainfall or typing on a keyboard.
"It is important to note that the noise levels in our data set are a 24-hour average, rather than peak noise levels, which may be much higher. For example, subway stations have an average noise level of about 75 decibels at rest and can be more than 100 decibels when trains are arriving or leaving," Nguyen said.
What are the study's main findings?
- Exposure to elevated levels of transportation noise (above 50 decibels) was associated with an 8%–10% increase in the development of major heart disease risk factors, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.
- Transportation noise exposure at more than 50 decibels was linked to greater odds of developing a major adverse heart event, even after accounting for age, sex and sleep quality.
"While our primary analysis focused on the number of risk factors developed, as opposed to which specific risk factor was most affected, when analyzing risk factors individually, the strongest relationship was seen with high cholesterol, followed by high blood pressure and then diabetes," Nguyen said.
The link between transportation noise and cardiovascular events was similar for those with healthy and unhealthy sleep even after considering other factors that affect heart disease risk, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes; socioenvironmental factors, such as air pollution and income; and mental health factors, such as depression and anxiety.
Nguyen said the findings highlight the importance of limiting environmental noise exposure to the extent possible for all people with high noise exposure.
"People with noise exposure should consider strategies to reduce noise levels, such as installing thicker drywall, windows and doors in their home; placing bedrooms in the quietest areas of the house; planting dense trees and vegetation in the yard to absorb noise; and using earplugs during sleep," he said.
"This study adds to the growing evidence that shows environmental factors such as air pollution, noise, artificial light, chemical pollutants and climate-related events may be contributing to the significant burden of cardiovascular disease as a leading cause of death worldwide.
"Creating stronger policies to reduce adverse environmental exposures and building durable infrastructure that emphasizes wellness will help us tackle these environmental issues and help improve heart health and create healthier, more sustainable communities for our children and our children's children," said Keith Churchwell, M.D., FAHA, a co-author of the American Heart Association joint scientific statement, Environmental Stressors and Cardiovascular Health: Acting Locally for Global Impact in a Changing World.
Churchwell is a past American Heart Association volunteer president and an adjunct associate professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. Churchwell was not involved in this study.
Study details, background, design and limitations:
- The study included data from 2010 to 2020 for 108,051 adults (median age of 57 years; 58% women) who enrolled in the Mass General Brigham Biobank.
- Transportation noise exposure was estimated using a U.S. Department of Transportation tool that measures average 24-hour transportation noise levels near a person's home.
- Just over one-third of participants, 34.7%, had abnormal sleep, which included sleep apnea, insomnia, sleepwalking, night terrors (parasomnia), excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia), narcolepsy or sleeping less than seven hours or more than nine hours per night.
- About one-third of participants (33%) were exposed to transportation noise louder than 50 decibels, and 54.5% were exposed to noise louder than 45 decibels.
- The study has some limitations. First, it reviewed data already collected, which means it cannot prove cause and effect. The analysis considered various transportation noise sources, including road traffic (cars, buses, etc.), trains and aviation, so the effects may vary based on the type of noise.
Key medical concepts
Sleep QualityHypercholesterolemia
Clinical categories
CardiologyCommon illnesses & PreventionPreventive medicineHealthy living Provided by American Heart Association Who's behind this story?
Swati Mestri
Swati Mestri holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space. Full profile →
Andrew Zinin
Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →
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