PEOPLE living near airports may be more susceptible to heart attacks, a study suggests.
Researchers found “evidence of a small increase in risk” of those exposed to noise at night being admitted to hospital the next day.
Doug SeeburgA plane flies over houses near Heathrow Airport[/caption]
Men over the age of 65 were the worst affected.
Scientists discovered aircraft sounds disrupted sleep and raised blood pressure and stress hormone levels, which are factors linked to heart problems.
Imperial College London, working with Heathrow, analysed admissions for cardiovascular disease in those living in homes under the airport’s flight path from 2014 to 2018.
The team concluded: “These findings provide potential evidence that aircraft noise in the late evening and night-time may be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular hospitalisations and deaths in the population living within the Heathrow Airport noise contour.
“This is consistent with a mechanism of action via disturbed sleep and has implications for developing respite measures for the communities situated near busy airports.
“Further research into these potential respite mechanisms and behavioural interventions, including runway rotation and noise insulation initiatives, is needed to understand how best to translate the findings from this study into action.”
Evidence of an association between aircraft noise and deaths due to cardiovascular diseases was limited, although this could be attributed to a small sample size.
Aircraft noise has been a contentious issue during Heathrow’s long-running bid to gain permission to build a third runway.
Modern passenger planes are quieter than previous models but there are concerns that an increase in flights will cause more disturbance.
Heathrow, which supported the university in conducting the study, says reducing the impact of noise from flights is a vital part of its sustainability strategy.
Airport bosses also say they have reduced its noise footprint – the area where residents are exposed to aircraft noise – by 28 per cent since 2006.
The paper was published in online journal Environment International.