Does Exposure to Aircraft Noise Increase the Risk of Hypertension near French Airports?

Euronoise 2015, the 10th European Congress and Exposition on Noise Control Engineering, MAASTRICHT, PAYS-BAS, 01-/06/2015 - 03/06/2015; Background: The HYENA study (HYpertension and Exposure to Noise near Airports) has evidenced an association between aircraft noise exposure and hypertension. Objective: The objective of our study was to investigate the relationship between the risk of hypertension and aircraft noise exposure around French airports. Methods: The longitudinal study included in the DEBATS research program aims to follow-up during four years 1,244 esidents around three French airports: Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Toulouse-Blagnac, and Lyon Saint-Exupéry. Overall annoyance and health status (in terms of sleep disturbances, cardiovascular diseases, and anxiety and depressive disorders) were assessed by a face-to-face questionnaire performed at the place of residence of the participants. The interviewer also measured the systolic (SBP) and the diastolic (DBP) blood-pressure (BP) of the participants. The individuals were classified as hypertensive if they had either BP levels above the World Health Organization cut-off points (a SBP e 140 or a DBP e 90) or a diagnosis of hypertension by a physician in conjunction with the use of antihypertensive medication, as reported in the interview questionnaire. Aircraft noise exposure was evaluated in terms of Lden for each participant's home address using noise maps calculated with the Integrated Noise Model (INM). The major potential confounders being risk factors for hypertension were included in the logistic regression models: age, gender, body mass index, physical activity, occupational activity and alcohol consumption. Results: After adjustment for major confounders, an exposure-response relationship was found between the risk of hypertension and aircraft noise exposure for men only, not for women. Conclusions: A slight increase in risk of hypertension due to aircraft noise exposure was evidenced for men. This result confirms the findings of the HYENA study suggesting that the effect of aircraft noise on the risk of hypertension is stronger in men than in women.