Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Aug;129(8):87002.
doi: 10.1289/EHP8090. Epub 2021 Aug 2.

Long-Term Exposure to Road Traffic Noise and Air Pollution, and Incident Atrial Fibrillation in the Danish Nurse Cohort

Zorana J Andersen  1 , Johannah Cramer  1 , Jeanette T Jørgensen  1 , Christian Dehlendorff  2 , Heresh Amini  1 , Amar Mehta  3   4 , Tom Cole-Hunter  1   5   6 , Laust H Mortensen  3   4 , Rudi Westendorp  4   7 , Rina So  1 , Shuo Li  1 , Barbara Hoffmann  8 , Steffen Loft  1 , Elvira V Bräuner  9 , Matthias Ketzel  10   11 , Ole Hertel  10 , Jørgen Brandt  10   12 , Steen Solvang Jensen  10 , Jesper H Christensen  10 , Camilla Geels  10 , Lise M Frohn  10 , Claus Backalarz  13 , Mette K Simonsen  14   15 , Youn-Hee Lim  1
Affiliations

Long-Term Exposure to Road Traffic Noise and Air Pollution, and Incident Atrial Fibrillation in the Danish Nurse Cohort

Zorana J Andersen et al. Environ Health Perspect. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Associations between long-term exposure to air pollution and road traffic noise have been established for ischemic heart disease, but findings have been mixed for atrial fibrillation (AF).

Objectives: The goal of the study was to examine associations of long-term exposure to road traffic noise and air pollution with AF.

Methods: Time-varying Cox regression models were used to estimate associations of 1-, 3-, and 23-y mean road traffic noise and air pollution exposures with AF incidence in 23,528 women enrolled in the Danish Nurse Cohort (age >44y at baseline in 1993 or 1999). AF diagnoses were ascertained via the Danish National Patient Register. Annual mean weighted 24-h average road traffic noise levels (Lden) at the nurses' residences, since 1970, were estimated using the Nord2000 model, and annual mean levels of particulate matter with a diameter <2.5μm (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were estimated using the DEHM/UBM/AirGIS model.

Results: Of 23,528 nurses with no prior AF diagnosis at the cohort baseline, 1,522 developed AF during follow-up. In a fully adjusted model (including PM2.5), the estimated risk of AF was 18% higher [hazard ratio (HR); 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18; 1.02, 1.36] in nurses with residential 3-y mean Lden levels >58 dB vs. <48 dB, with similar findings for 1-y mean exposures. A 3.9-μg/m3 increase in 3-y mean PM2.5 was associated with incident AF before and after adjustment for concurrent exposure to road traffic noise (HR 1.09; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.20 and 1.08; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.19, respectively). Associations with 1-y mean PM2.5 exposures were positive but closer to the null and not significant. Associations with NO2 were null for all time periods before and after adjustment for road traffic noise and inverse when adjusted for concurrent PM2.5.

Conclusion: Our analysis of prospective data from a cohort of Danish female nurses followed for up to 14 y provided suggestive evidence of independent associations between incident AF and 1- and 3-y exposures to road traffic noise and PM2.5. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8090.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figures 1A, 1B, and 1C are maps of Denmark depicting annual residential exposure levels. Figure 1A depicts uppercase l begin subscript den end subscript (decibel) exposure levels, ranging as 0.0 to 39.6, 39.7 to 444, 44.2 to 47.1, 47.2 to 49.9, 50.0 to 53.2, and 53.3 to 70.6. A scale depicting kilometers is ranging from 0 to 50 in increments of 25 and 50 to 100 in increments of 50. A scale depicting miles is ranging from 0 to 50 in increments of 25 and 50 to 100 in increments of 50. Figure 1B depicts particulate matter begin subscript 2.5 end subscript (microgram per cubic meter) exposure levels, ranging as 13.5 to 16.0, 16.1 to 16.9, 17.0 to 18.2, 18.3 to 19.7, 19.8 to 21.1, and 21.2 to 33.7. A scale depicting kilometers is ranging from 0 to 50 in increments of 25 and 50 to 100 in increments of 50. A scale depicting miles is ranging from 0 to 50 in increments of 25 and 50 to 100 in increments of 50. Figure 1C depicts nitrogen dioxide (microgram per cubic meter) exposure levels, ranging as 3.7 to 5.4, 5.5 to 6.4, 6.5 to 7.5, 7.6 to 8.7, 8.8 to 10.0, and 11.0 to 57.0. A scale depicting kilometers is ranging from 0 to 50 in increments of 25 and 50 to 100 in increments of 50. A scale depicting miles is ranging from 0 to 50 in increments of 25 and 50 to 100 in increments of 50.
Figure 1.
Smoothed maps of annual residential exposure levels for Lden (A), PM2.5 (B), and NO2 (C) (breaks represent quintiles of exposure) in the Danish Nurse Cohort at year of cohort entry (1993/1999).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Atkinson RW, Carey IM, Kent AJ, van Staa TP, Anderson HR, Cook DG. 2013. Long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution and incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Epidemiology 24(1):44–53, PMID: 23222514, 10.1097/EDE.0b013e318276ccb8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Babisch W, Pershagen G, Selander J, Houthuijs D, Breugelmans O, Cadum E, et al. . 2013. Noise annoyance–a modifier of the association between noise level and cardiovascular health? Sci Total Environ 452–453:50–57, PMID: 23500398, 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.034. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Babisch W. 2014. Updated exposure-response relationship between road traffic noise and coronary heart diseases: a meta-analysis. Noise Health 16(68):1–9, PMID: 24583674, 10.4103/1463-1741.127847. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Basner M, McGuire S. 2018. WHO environmental noise guidelines for the European region: a systematic review on environmental noise and effects on sleep. Int J Environ Res Public Health 15(3):519, PMID: 29538344, 10.3390/ijerph15030519. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bräuner EV, Jørgensen JT, Duun-Henriksen AK, Backalarz C, Laursen JE, Pedersen TH, et al. . 2019. Long-term wind turbine noise exposure and the risk of incident atrial fibrillation in the Danish Nurse Cohort. Environ Int 130:104915, PMID: 31344645, 10.1016/j.envint.2019.104915. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types