Stress of exposure adds to risks, says WHO report
· Light traffic is enough for chronic levels at night
Alok Jha, science correspondent
Thursday August 23, 2007
The Guardian
Thousands of people in Britain and around the world are dying prematurely from heart disease triggered by long-term exposure to excessive noise, according to research by the World Health Organisation. Coronary heart disease caused 101,000 deaths in the UK in 2006, and the study suggests that 3,030 of these are caused by chronic noise exposure, including to daytime traffic.
Research published in recent years has shown that noise can increase the levels of stress hormones in the body, even during sleep. The longer these hormones stay in circulation around the bloodstream, the more likely they are to cause life-threatening physiological problems. High stress levels can lead to heart failure, strokes, high blood pressure and immune problems.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/story/0,,2154289,00.html
· Light traffic is enough for chronic levels at night
Alok Jha, science correspondent
Thursday August 23, 2007
The Guardian
Thousands of people in Britain and around the world are dying prematurely from heart disease triggered by long-term exposure to excessive noise, according to research by the World Health Organisation. Coronary heart disease caused 101,000 deaths in the UK in 2006, and the study suggests that 3,030 of these are caused by chronic noise exposure, including to daytime traffic.
Research published in recent years has shown that noise can increase the levels of stress hormones in the body, even during sleep. The longer these hormones stay in circulation around the bloodstream, the more likely they are to cause life-threatening physiological problems. High stress levels can lead to heart failure, strokes, high blood pressure and immune problems.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/story/0,,2154289,00.html