Approved Research

Association of Noise Pollution and Cardiometabolic Disease

Lay summary

Aims: To study the associations between noise pollution and cardiometabolic risk, and the roles of mental health and sleep quality in those associations.

Scientific rationale: The causes of cardiometabolic disease are complex and still not fully studied. Therefore, it is important to identify modifiable risk factors of cardiometabolic disease. Noise pollution is a common and under-recognized health risk. Traffic noise exposure is linked to cardiometabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction, and stroke. However, the underlying mechanisms are not yet well understood.

Project duration: 24 month

Public health impact: Our research will clarify the associations between noise pollution and cardiometabolic disease, and the roles of mental health and sleep quality using this large cohort of UK biobank. The findings may help to build evidence-based strategies to reduce the burden of cardiometabolic disease.

In this study, we will investigate the associations of noise pollution with cardiometabolic risk, and the mediation effects of mental health and sleep quality.

Aim 1. To investigate the sex-specific associations of noise pollution with cardiometabolic risk. The primary outcomes of the study are the incidence of, and mortality from cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction and stroke) and type 2 diabetes, and mortality from all causes. The secondary outcomes are hypertension, dyslipidemia, glucose, HbA1c, and C-reactive protein.

Aim 2. To explore whether the associations between noise pollution and cardiometabolic risk are specific to daytime or nighttime poise pollution

Aim 3. To examine the associations of noise pollution with mental health and sleep quality, and whether mental health and sleep quality mediate the associations between noise pollution and cardiometabolic risk.

We will further investigate the associations of road traffic noise exposure with cancer risk and survival.

Aim 4. To examine longitudinal associations between road traffic noise and cancer risk.

Aim 5. To examine the effect of road traffic noise exposure on survival in cancer patients.