Occupational noise exposure is associated with hypertension in China: Results from project ELEFANT

Correlation between Long-Term Exposure to Traffic Noise and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to probe the correlation of long-term exposure to traffic noise with the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODS

The data of 480 community residents collected from April 2017 to April 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Exposure levels for traffic noise were defined using 24-h mean traffic noise. Logistic regression calculated the association between long-term exposure to traffic noise and the risk of T2DM.

RESULTS

Overall, 480 enrolled participants were divided into T2DM (n = 45) and non-T2DM (n = 435) groups. Participants with T2DM were older and more likely to be male, had higher BMI, and were frequent drinkers (P < 0.001). The T2DM group displayed higher exposure to traffic noise than the non-T2DM group (P < 0.001). According to quartiles of traffic noise, all participants were categorized into four groups: Q1 (<51.5 dB), Q2 (51.5-<53.9 dB), Q3 (53.9-<58.0 dB), and Q4 (≥58.0 dB). Prevalence of T2DM was 5.4% in Q1, 7.7% in Q2, 10.3% in Q3, and 14.1% in Q4 groups. Multifactor regression analysis showed that age, BMI, drinking history, and traffic noise exposure are risk factors for T2DM (P < 0.05), whereas sex does not seem to have a significant impact on T2DM (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Long-term exposure to traffic noise may elevate the risk of T2DM. This suggests that long-term exposure to high levels of traffic noise can increase the incidence of diabetes mellitus, which deserves further consideration.

Phthalates and phthalate metabolites in urine from Tianjin and implications for platelet mitochondrial DNA methylation

Background

Phthalates (PAEs) are important synthetic substances in plastics, attracting much attention due to their potential effects on the cardiovascular system.

Methods

In this study, urine and blood samples from 39 individuals were collected in Tianjin, China. Phthalates and phthalate metabolites (mPAEs) were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), respectively. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products from bisulfite-treated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) samples were analyzed using pyrosequencing technology.

Results

The detection frequencies for 9 PAEs varied from 2.56 to 92.31%, and those for 10 mPAEs varied from 30.77 to 100%. The estimated daily intakes (EDIs) and cumulative risk of PAEs were calculated based on the experimental statistics of urinary PAEs and mPAEs. For PAEs, the HIRfD (hazard index corresponding to reference doses) values of 10.26% of participants and the HITDI (hazard index corresponding to tolerable daily intake) values of 30.77% of participants were estimated to exceed 1, suggesting a relatively high exposure risk. The mtDNA methylation levels in the MT-ATP8 and MT-ND5 were observed to be lower than in the MT-ATP6. Mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP) and MT-ATP8 were positively correlated with triglyceride levels (p < 0.05). Based on the association of PAEs, mtDNA methylation, and triglycerides, the mediating role of mtDNA methylation between PAEs and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) was analyzed in this study, but no mediated effect was observed.

Conclusion

The effects of PAE exposure on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) should be investigated further.

Association of occupational noise exposure with hypertension: A cross-sectional study

The effects of chronic occupational noise exposure on hypertension are debated. We aimed to investigate the association between occupational noise exposure and the prevalence of hypertension. The cross-sectional data were collected from 2017 to 2018 using occupational physical examination data from a local aircraft manufacturing enterprise in Xi'an. We categorized occupational noise exposure as high (≥85 dBA) and low noise exposure (< 85 dBA). Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between occupational noise exposure and hypertension, and associations were further evaluated using subgroup analyses for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Of the 4746 participants (median age, 43 years; 73.4% men), 9.57% (454/4746) had hypertension and 32.4% (1540/4746) were exposed to high noise. Compared to the participants with low occupational exposure to noise, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for hypertension prevalence was 1.30 (1.05-1.62) for those with high occupational noise exposure. Subgroup analyses revealed that the noise-hypertension association only existed in young participants (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.21-2.40). This study revealed a harmful association between high occupational noise exposure and hypertension in young adults. The study suggests occupational noise exposure as a target for worksite interventions to prevent hypertension.

Relationship Between Occupational Noise and Hypertension in Modern Enterprise Workers: A Case-Control Study

Objective: The association between occupational noise exposure and hypertension is controversial. Thus, we aimed to assess the relationship between occupational noise exposure and hypertension. Methods: This was a case‒control study, and 509 cases and 1,018 controls from an automobile company were included between July and October 2013. Occupational noise exposure was defined as exposure to noise level ≥80 dB(A) (Lex, 8 h) or cumulative noise exposure (CNE) ≥ 80 dB(A)-years. To assess the associations of noise level and CNE with hypertension, univariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The restricted cubic spline function was used to establish dose‒response curves. Results: A noise level ≥80 dB (A) (Lex, 8 h) was significantly associated with hypertension (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.89-3.24). CNE ≥80 dB (A)-years was significantly associated with hypertension (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.18-2.00). Nonlinear relationships between noise level, CNE and hypertension were found (p- nonlinear<0.05). Conclusion: Our study suggests that occupational noise exposure is a potential risk factor for hypertension in automobile company workers.

Road Traffic Noise, Obesity, and the Risk of Incident Type 2 Diabetes: A Cohort Study in UK Biobank

Objectives: To assess the association of road traffic noise exposure with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) risk, and to explore the potential moderation effect of obesity. Methods: A total of 305,969 participants from the UK Biobank Cohort - an open access cohort of 500,000 participants recruited in the United Kingdom (UK) between 2006 and 2010 - were included in the study. A Cox proportional hazard model was fitted to assess the association between road traffic noise exposure and T2D. Results: A total of 19,303 participants were diagnosed with T2D during the 11.9-year median follow-up period. For every 10 dB increase in road traffic noise, there was a 4% increase in T2D risk (HR = 1.04, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.07). Besides, a significant positive interaction was observed between obesity and road traffic noise (P interaction <0.001) for the risk of T2D. The association of road traffic noise with T2D was stronger in overweight and obese participants (HR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.08), but not significant among lean ones (HR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.86-1.07). Conclusion: Our study observed a longitudinal association of road traffic noise exposure with T2D risk, which was stronger among overweight and obese individuals than the lean ones.

Association between mitochondrial DNA methylation and internal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrated-PAHs (NPAHs) and oxygenated-PAHs (OPAHs) in young adults from Tianjin, China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrated-PAHs (NPAHs) and oxygenated-PAHs (OPAHs) are environmental pollutants with adverse effects on human health. The correlation between the concentrations of PAHs, NPAHs and OPAHs in human plasma and the methylation level of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was investigated using data from 110 plasma samples collected in Tianjin, China. The median concentrations of PAHs, NPAHs and OPAHs were 16.0 (IQR: 14.4-20.7) ng/mL, 82.2 (IQR: 63.1-97.6) ng/mL and 49.6 (IQR: 28.6-53.8) ng/mL, and the mean proportions were 13.4%, 56.5% and 30.1%, respectively. Bisulfite-PCR pyrosequencing was used to measure the methylation level of MT-CO1 and tRNA-Leu. The methylation levels of two mitochondrial genes (MT-CO1, tRNA-Leu) including four CpG sites (MT-CO1-P1, MT-CO1-P2, tRNA-Leu-P1 and tRNA-Leu-P2) were 0.67% ± 1.38%, 13.54% ± 2.59%, 7.23% ± 5.35% and 1.64% ± 2.94%, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that significant correlations were found between PAHs and their derivatives exposure and mtDNA methylation levels.

Investigating the effects of occupational and environmental noise on cardiovascular diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The present study aimed to use a meta-analysis to investigate the relationship between occupational and non-occupational noise exposure expressed in various studies with cardiovascular disease. This is a systematic review and meta-analysis study based on PRISMA checklist. In this study, the researchers searched five international databases of Medline/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, ISI/web of knowledge, and Google Scholar. Search keywords included two categories noise and noise pollution, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. The Joanna Briggs Institute checklist was used to review and control the quality of the articles. After all screening stage 139 articles entered the final analysis. The results show that except for East African environmental studies and workplace studies in East Asia, Western Asia, and Northern Europe, there was a significant association between noise exposure and cardiovascular disease. Also, there was a significant difference between the intensity of sound and blood pressure in workers (OR = 1.28, CI 95%: 1.15-1.42, P < 0.001). Based on the results of environmental noise, there was a significant difference between ambient noise intensity and blood pressure (OR = 1.55, CI 95%: 1.53-1.57, P < 0.001). It can be concluded that it is very important to study and identify jobs or living environments with less than the recommended noise level and in addition to hearing aids that occur in over-standard exposures, such as cardiovascular disease.

Occupational and environmental influences on hypertension

In this review I try to summarize concisely available information on common effectors on blood pressure, occupational, and environmental ones, which are sometimes overlooked, so that clinicians involved in caring for patients with hypertension may have somewhat better vision of what our patients are exposed to.

Noise Effect on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate - Regression Analysis in Service of Prediction

INTRODUCTION

Investigations have shown that noise is one of the etiologic factors that leads to a risk of cardiovascular incidence.

AIM

To present effect of noise on arterial tension and heart rate of workers who work on machine press during period of three-years.

METHODS

The study had a prospective character and included 30 subjects (n = 30) who were monitored over a three-year period (36 months). The respondents worked at the factory "Cimos" on machine press (Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina). Ten machine presses were monitored, and three workers worked on each press. Approximately every worker was affected by a wide range of noise between 65 and 110 dB in the workplace (via isohypse). MATLAB (version 9.4, MathWorks, Natick, Massachusetts, United States of America (USA)) software was used to estimate the possible damage caused by noise in factories that produce noise in their work.

RESULTS

During the three-year period, arterial tension in the subjects increased, and at the end of the observed period, they were considered as patients with a diagnosis of arterial hypertension grade I. The tension depends on the strength of the produced noise, and the values also depend on position of the respondent on the machine press.

CONCLUSION

Noise prevention has become a problem of modern medicine. The result of our work allows estimation of arterial hypertension in specified time in case of exposure to a certain strength of noise. Prevention of noise, daytime noise prevention as well as better equipment for work and preventive equipment are imposed as imperative in such or similar conditions, with the need of development of national strategies for this issue in countries where they are not present.