The Adverse Effects of Environmental Noise Exposure on Oxidative Stress and Cardiovascular Risk

Abstract

Epidemiological studies have provided evidence that traffic noise exposure is linked to cardiovascular diseases such as arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Noise is a nonspecific stressor that activates the autonomous nervous system and endocrine signaling. According to the noise reaction model introduced by Babisch and colleagues, chronic low levels of noise can cause so-called nonauditory effects, such as disturbances of activity, sleep, and communication, which can trigger a number of emotional responses, including annoyance and subsequent stress. Chronic stress in turn is associated with cardiovascular risk factors, comprising increased blood pressure and dyslipidemia, increased blood viscosity and blood glucose, and activation of blood clotting factors, in animal models and humans. Persistent chronic noise exposure increases the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, including arterial hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, and stroke. Recently, we demonstrated that aircraft noise exposure during nighttime can induce endothelial dysfunction in healthy subjects and is even more pronounced in coronary artery disease patients. Importantly, impaired endothelial function was ameliorated by acute oral treatment with the antioxidant vitamin C, suggesting that excessive production of reactive oxygen species contributes to this phenomenon. More recently, we introduced a novel animal model of aircraft noise exposure characterizing the underlying molecular mechanisms leading to noise-dependent adverse oxidative stress-related effects on the vasculature. With the present review, we want to provide an overview of epidemiological, translational clinical, and preclinical noise research addressing the nonauditory, adverse effects of noise exposure with focus on oxidative stress. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 28, 873–908.

Table of Contents

I. Introduction

• A. Noise and global burden of disease

• B. Historical view on noise research: the concept of nonauditory effects of noise

• C. Impact of environmental noise on healthcare systems

II. Epidemiology: Traffic Noise and Cardiometabolic Disease

• A. Cardiovascular disease

• B. Metabolic disease

• C. Cancer

• D. Effects of noise exposure on sleep: short sleep, endothelial dysfunction, and oxidative stress

• E. Traffic noise exposure, annoyance, noise sensitivity, and mental disease

• F. Effects of noise and air pollution coexposure

• G. Health effects of noise exposure in children

• H. Traffic noise mitigation strategies

III. Effects of Noise on Vascular Function and Oxidative Stress

• A. Prognostic meaning of endothelial dysfunction and vascular oxidative stress

• B. Noise and translational studies in humans

• C. Noise and translational studies in animals

IV. Adverse Effects of Simultaneous Noise and Air Pollution Exposure

• A. Adverse effects of noise and air pollution exposure share similar pathophysiological pathways

• B. Gaps in current knowledge concerning noise and air pollution

V. Other Environmental Risk Factors, Oxidative Stress, and Cardiovascular Disease

• A. Air pollution (PM/carbon black)

• B. Other environmental stressors

VI. Summary and Future Perspectives