Road traffic noise, air pollution components and cardiovascular events

Traffic noise and air pollution have been associated with cardiovascular health effects. Until date, only a limited
amount of prospective epidemiological studies is available on long-term effects of road traffic noise and combustion
related air pollution. This study investigates the relationship between road traffic noise and air pollution and hospital
admissions for ischemic heart disease (IHD: International Classification of Diseases (ICD9) 410-414) or cerebrovascular
disease (cerebrovascular event [CVE]: ICD9 430-438). We linked baseline questionnaire data to 13 years of follow-up
on hospital admissions and road traffic noise and air pollution exposure, for a large random sample (N = 18,213) of
inhabitants of the Eindhoven region, Netherlands. Subjects with cardiovascular event during follow-up on average
had higher road traffic noise day, evening, night level (Lden) and air pollution exposure at the home. After adjustment
for confounders (age, sex, body mass index, smoking, education, exercise, marital status, alcohol use, work situation,
financial difficulties), increased exposure did not exert a significant increased risk of hospital admission for IHD or
cerebrovascular disease. Relative risks (RRs) for a 5th to 95th percentile interval increase were 1.03 (0.88-1.20) for
Lden; 1.04 (0.90-1.21) for particulate matter (PM10); 1.05 (0.91-1.20) for elemental carbon (EC); and 1.12 (096-1.32) for
nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the full model. While the risk estimate seemed highest for NO2, for a 5th to 95th percentile
interval increase, expressed as RRs per 1 μg/m3 increases, hazard ratios seemed highest for EC (RR 1.04 [0.92-1.18]).
In the subgroup of study participants with a history of cardiovascular disease, RR estimates seemed highest for noise
exposure (1.19 [0.87-1.64] for Lden); in the subgroup of elderly RR seemed highest for air pollution exposure (RR 1.24
[0.93-1.66] for NO2).