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Background: Transportation noise may induce cardiovascular disease, but the public health implications are unclear. Objectives: The study aimed to assess exposure-response relationships for different transportation noise sources and ischemic heart disease (IHD), including subtypes. Methods: Pooled analyses were performed of nine cohorts from Denmark and Sweden, together including 132,801 subjects. Time-weighted longterm exposure to road, railway, and aircraft noise, as well as air pollution, was estimated based on residential histories. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models following adjustment for lifestyle and socioeconomic risk factors. Results: A total of 22,459 incident cases of IHD were identified during follow-up from national patient and mortality registers, including 7,682 cases of myocardial infarction. The adjusted HR for IHD was 1.03 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00, 1.05] per 10 dB [L.sub.den] for both road and railway noise exposure during 5 y prior to the event. Higher risks were indicated for IHD excluding angina pectoris cases, with HRs of 1.06 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.08) and 1.05 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.08) per 10 dB [L.sub.den] for road and railway noise, respectively. Corresponding HRs for myocardial infarction were 1.02 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.05) and 1.04 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.08). Increased risks were observed for aircraft noise but without clear exposure-response relations. A threshold at around 55 dB [L.sub.den] was suggested in the exposure-response relation for road traffic noise and IHD. Discussion: Exposure to road, railway, and aircraft noise in the prior 5 y was associated with an increased risk of IHD, particularly after exclusion of angina pectoris cases, which are less well identified in the registries. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10745, Introduction Exposure to traffic noise is increasing because of ongoing urbanization, densification of urban settlements, and growth of the transport sector. In 2017, 113 million Europeans were estimated to be [...]

Background: Transportation noise is increasingly acknowledged as a cardiovascular risk factor, but the evidence base for an association with stroke is sparse. Objective: We aimed to investigate the association between transportation noise and stroke incidence in a large Scandinavian population. Methods: We harmonized and pooled data from nine Scandinavian cohorts (seven Swedish, two Danish), totaling 135,951 participants. We identified residential address history and estimated road, railway, and aircraft noise for all addresses. Information on stroke incidence was acquired through linkage to national patient and mortality registries. We analyzed data using Cox proportional hazards models, including socioeconomic and lifestyle confounders, and air pollution. Results: During follow-up (median = 19.5 y), 11,056 stroke cases were identified. Road traffic noise ([L.sub.den]) was associated with risk of stroke, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.06 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 1.08] per 10-dB higher 5-y mean time-weighted exposure in analyses adjusted for individual-and area-level socioeconomic covariates. The association was approximately linear and persisted after adjustment for air pollution [particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter of Discussion: In this pooled study, road traffic noise was associated with a higher risk of stroke. This finding supports road traffic noise as an important cardiovascular risk factor that should be included when estimating the burden of disease due to traffic noise. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8949, Introduction Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and identification of new, modifiable risk factors is a crucial step in prevention (Zhang et al. 2019). Transportation noise [...]

BACKGROUND: Exposure to ambient air pollution is suspected to cause cognitive effects, but a prospective cohort is needed to study exposure to air pollution at the home address and the incidence of dementia. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the association between long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and dementia incidence in a major city in northern Sweden. METHODS: Data on dementia incidence over a 15-year period were obtained from the longitudinal Betula study. Traffic air pollution exposure was assessed using a land-use regression model with a spatial resolution of 50 m x 50 m. Annual mean nitrogen oxide levels at the residential address of the participants at baseline (the start of follow-up) were used as markers for long-term exposure to air pollution. RESULTS: Out of 1,806 participants at baseline, 191 were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease during follow-up, and 111 were diagnosed with vascular dementia. Participants in the group with the highest exposure were more likely than those in the group with the lowest exposure to be diagnosed with dementia (Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia), with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.43 (95% CI: 0.998, 2.05 for the highest vs. the lowest quartile). The estimates were similar for Alzheimer's disease (HR 1.38) and vascular dementia (HR 1.47). The HR for dementia associated with the third quartile versus the lowest quartile was 1.48 (95% CI: 1.03, 2.11). A subanalysis that excluded a younger sample that had been retested after only 5 years of follow-up suggested stronger associations with exposure than were present in the full cohort (HR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.08, 2.73 for the highest vs. the lowest quartile). CONCLUSIONS: If the associations we observed are causal, then air pollution from traffic might be an important risk factor for vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease. http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408322, Introduction The cardiopulmonary effects of air pollutants are well established (Ruckerl et al. 2011), and there is a growing body of evidence indicating that air pollution causes neuropathological effects and [...]