Noisy Nights Linked To Blood Pressure

Posted by: andrew | Posted on: October 15th, 2011 | 0 Comments

If you are thinking of living near an airport or a busy highway and have any concerns about your blood pressure, you may want to give this decision a second thought. Recent research reveals that loud noises heard in the night-time can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise. And, believe it or not, this increase in blood pressure occurs even if the sound does not rouse the person from their sleep.
This study was actually done on volunteers who lived in the vicinity of London’s Heathrow Airport and three other airports around Europe. Scientists for the Imperial College London remotely tracked the blood pressure of 140 volunteers to determine what influence night-time noise from airports or traffic might have on individual blood pressure. Readings were taken at 15 minute intervals and then compared to noise recorded in the area where the person was sleeping. Study results appeared in the European Heart Journal.
Researchers noted that “noise events” reaching 35 decibels or louder caused a noticeable blood pressure rise in their subjects. This level of noise could be caused by aircraft overhead, noise from passing traffic or even a snoring person. Researchers noted that the resultant rise in pressure occurred if the person awoke from the sound and when they were not consciously disturbed.
Systolic blood pressure increased an average of 6.2mmHg (mercury) at the 35 decibel level. (Systolic measures the high end of pressure produced when the heart pushes blood out of its chambers.) The diastolic blood pressure (when the heart is filling its chambers with blood and the pressure is at its low point) increased as well by an average of 7.4 mmHg.
It was interesting to note that it was the loudness of the noise and not the type of noise that caused the rise in blood pressure. Traffic noise, aircraft noise, a person yelling or snoring would make no difference. Only loudness mattered.
Such increases could have a negative effect on a person, particularly if their blood pressure is already at dangerously high levels. High blood pressure is defined by the World Health Organization as 140 mmHg or more on the systolic end of the measuring scale. This hypertension can contribute to increased risks of developing heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and dementia.

Thus, it seems it is no longer just the food that a person eats or the amount of stress in their lifestyles that are the causes of increased blood pressure. To really keep blood pressure under control, a calm and quiet home and sleep environment can really be important to a person’s overall health and wellness.

Source: Imperial College London. “Aircraft Noise Raises Blood Pressure Even Whilst People Are Sleeping, Says Study.” February 2008. http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_13-2-2008-10-14-29
Andrew Graves, CHEK, MTA, FDN
www.primalwellness.co.uk