Adults Exposed to Traffic Noise Face a Hidden Heart Risk, Study Finds
Newsweek · Maria Azzurra Volpe ·
Long-term exposure to traffic, rail and aircraft noise may raise the risk of heart disease, a new study suggests.
Living near busy roads, railway lines or airports may increase the likelihood of developing heart conditions, according to a new study.
The findings, which will be presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2026 in Chicago from November 6 to 9, suggest that prolonged exposure to transportation noise may increase the risk of major cardiovascular events and heart-related conditions even in those with regular sleep habits.
“The key finding of our study is that the relationship between noise exposure and cardiovascular disease events, and the number of cardiovascular risk factors developed, was similar among people with and without unhealthy sleep, suggesting that healthy sleep is not protective against adverse heart impacts of noise exposure,” said the lead study author Dr. Joseph Nguyen, an internal medicine resident physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center in Boston.
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