Video: Living Near an Airport Could Be Bad for Your Heart

The roar of jet engines overhead may be more than just annoying for people who live near an airport.  A new study suggests it could be a major risk to their heart health.

Researchers reviewed heart scans from more than 36-hundred people living near four major airports in England and compared them to aircraft noise estimates from the country’s aviation authority.

Participants exposed to higher levels of plane noise had poorer heart function, according to the results. Their heart muscles were stiffer, thicker and less efficient at pumping blood.

The researchers say this type of damage can quadruple a person’s risk of heart attack, stroke or irregular heart rhythm.

The results also showed nighttime plane noise was most harmful, which may be due to its impact on sleep quality.

The senior author says action must be taken to reduce aircraft noise and “mitigate its impact on the health of millions of people who live close to airports or under flight paths.”

Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology 

Author Affiliations: University College London, University of Leicester, UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science