Research from two studies in different European cities1,2 highlights that urban noise pollution has a significant negative impact on heart health, according to data presented at ESC Congress 2024. "The DECIBEL-MI study shows that young patients aged 50 years or less who had a myocardial infarction (MI) had been exposed to higher levels of noise than the general population. The study demonstrates that urban noise could significantly increase the risk of early-onset MI in young people with low traditional risk factors.
Including noise exposure in risk prediction models helps accurately identify at-risk individuals, leading to better-targeted prevention. The DECIBEL-MI study included 430 consecutive patients living in Bremen, Germany, aged 50 years or younger with acute MI who were admitted to a local heart centre. When levels of residential noise exposure were calculated, the researchers observed a higher incidence of noise exposure compared to the general population in the same region.
Patients with MI and a low LIFE-CVD score (≤2.5%), indicating a low level of traditional risk factors, such as smoking or diabetes, exhibited significantly higher noise exposure compared to those with a high LIFE-CVD score. This is crucial because traditional risk assessment models might underestimate the cardiovascular risk in young individuals who are otherwise considered low risk.
By incorporating noise exposure into these models, it is possible to more accurately identify those at elevated.