Long-Term Exposure to Road Traffic Noise and Incident Heart Failure: Evidence From UK Biobank

Background: Evidence on road traffic noise and heart failure (HF) is limited, and little is known on the potential mediation roles of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), hypertension, or diabetes.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impacts of long-term road traffic noise exposure on the risk of incident HF considering air pollution, and explore the mediations of the previously mentioned diseases.

Methods: This prospective study included 424,767 participants without HF at baseline in UK Biobank. The residential-level noise and air pollution exposure was estimated, and the incident HF was identified through linkages with medical records. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate HRs. Furthermore, time-dependent mediation was performed.

Results: During a median 12.5 years of follow-up, 12,817 incident HF were ascertained. The HRs were 1.08 (95% CI: 1.00-1.16) per 10 dB[A] increase in weighted average 24-hour road traffic noise level (L_den), and 1.15 (95% CI: 1.02-1.31) for exposure to L_den >65 dB[A] compared with the reference category (L_den ≤55 dB[A]), respectively. Furthermore, the strongest combined effects were found in those with both high exposures to road traffic noise and air pollution including fine particles and nitrogen dioxide. Prior AMI before HF within 2 years' time interval mediated 12.5% of the association of road traffic noise with HF.

Conclusions: More attention should be paid and a preventive strategy should be considered to alleviate the disease burden of HF related to road traffic noise exposure, especially in participants who survived AMI and developed HF within 2 years.