Don’t take this kind of voice lightly! Some people are tortured every day…

Compiled by: Gong Zixin

Do you live near the airport?

Or is your workplace very close to a flight route?

Are you often disturbed by aircraft noise?

Don't ever say "get used to it"...

Noise from airplanes and helicopters flying overhead is more troublesome than other traffic noise and may be associated with a higher body mass index and an increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure, according to a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health and Oregon State University.

The study, published in the journal Environment International, found that people exposed to aircraft noise levels of 45 decibels or higher also had a higher body mass index in mid- to late adulthood compared with early adulthood, with the highest body mass index associated with aircraft noise levels of 55 decibels or higher. By comparison, a whisper is 30 decibels, the volume of a library is 40 decibels, and an average conversation at home is 50 decibels.

BMI is an indicator of obesity, which can lead to cardiometabolic disease and a host of other health problems. This study is the first to explore the link between aircraft noise exposure and obesity on a national scale in the United States.

"Previous studies have shown that aircraft noise can increase stress responses and disrupt sleep, but there is evidence that aircraft noise is associated with body mass index," said Matthew Bozigar, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology at Oregon State University and lead author of the study. "We were surprised to find such a strong association between aircraft noise and higher body mass index among U.S. women." These new findings highlight the role of the environment in a person's risk for chronic disease.

The locations of the 90 major airports in the United States included in the study were composed of participants who lived near each airport.

In the study, Dr. Bozigar and colleagues examined aircraft noise exposure, self-reported body mass index, and other personal characteristics in nearly 75,000 participants living near 90 major airports in the United States. The study population consisted of participants from two national prospective cohorts. At the baseline of the study, their average age was 50.1 years.

The research team examined aircraft noise levels every 5 years from 1995 to 2010, using diurnal estimates to capture average noise levels over a 24-hour period and making a 10-dB adjustment for aircraft noise that occurs at night, when background noise is lower. Participants were exposed to aircraft noise levels of <45 dB, 45-54 dB, and ≥55 dB.

While the team acknowledges that BMI is not an ideal measure, the independent and strong associations they observed between greater aircraft noise exposure and higher BMI are noteworthy. There were also regional differences, with stronger associations among participants on the West Coast and those living in drought conditions.

"One reason for these regional differences could be related to the era of regional development, building characteristics and climate, which could affect factors like home age, design and insulation levels," said senior author Junenette Peters, PhD, associate professor of environmental health at the Boston School of Public Health. "Regional differences in temperature and humidity could affect behaviors like opening windows, so perhaps participants living in the West were more exposed to aircraft noise because open windows or house type let in more noise."

Likewise, stronger associations were observed in arid climates, many of which are also in the western United States, possibly related to the way noise is transmitted under various atmospheric conditions, Dr. Peters said.

Bozigar noted that future research will further explore the link between aircraft noise exposure and obesity, as well as the potential health effects of environmental inequalities in traffic noise exposure. But this study adds to a growing literature demonstrating that noise can have negative health effects.