Airplane Noise May Affect the Cardiovascular Health of Elderly

The sound of an airplane soaring overhead is familiar to many Americans. However, results of a new study by a team of professors from the Harvard School of Public Health and the Boston University School of Public Health tentatively suggest that, for the just over 6 million elderly Americans who live in close proximity to airports, the constant presence of noises associated with airplanes may be detrimental to cardiovascular health.

The authors of the study found a 3.5 percent higher hospital admission rate due to cardiovascular problems in the elderly who hailed from zip codes near airports that consistently experienced noise levels 10 decibels higher than average.

The study—inspired in part by previous research that suggested an association between aircraft noise and certain physiological reactions—was commissioned by the Partnership for Air Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction, a poly-university cooperative research organization sponsored in part by the Federal Avivation Administration and NASA that is aimed at investigating and finding solutions for noise and emissions problems related to aviation.

The researchers analyzed 2218 zip codes in near proximity to 89 major U.S. airports and controlled for socioeconomic status, air pollution, proximity to a “roadway” and demographic factors such as age, race, and sex. Additionally, subjects in the study were all over age 65 and eligible to participate in Medicare.

HSPH professor Francesca Dominici, a co-author of the study, said that its findings are particularly significant because it reflects data from all over the continental U.S. Furthermore, she said the findings have broader implications given that cardiovascular issues are the leading cause of death worldwide.

However, Dominici also acknowledged the large prevalence of cardiovascular disease in the population makes it difficult to isolate aircraft noise as the primary cause of cardiovascular issues in the subjects.

Still, because of the statistical significance of their findings, Dominici suggested that action should be taken to minimize the negative effects of aviation-related noise and emissions in the future.

In a press release from HSPH, study co-author Jonathan Levy, a professor at BUSPH and an adjunct professor at HSPH, proposed a variety of options to minimize aviation-related noise exposure, including improving flightpaths, using runways strategically, and soundproofing nearby homes and buildings.