Housing and road traffic: beware of heart failure

In France, heart failure affects 2.3% of the adult French population according to theHealth Insurance. More than 160,000 people are hospitalized for this reason every year and more than 70,000 die from it. A serious disease which is manifested by an inability of the heart muscle to normally perform its role of propelling blood through the body. This impacts the other organs which no longer receive enough oxygen or nutrients to function properly. The causes of heart failure are multiple. The most common is when a myocardial infarction creates irreversible damage to part of the heart muscle that no longer allows the heart to function normally.

The second most common cause is poorly controlled high blood pressure. Then, other health problems such as heart rhythm disorders or lung diseases can lead to heart failure. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has just added a new cause for heart failure: living in a dwelling located on a busy road. According to the researchers, air and noise pollution generated by traffic could weaken the heart by reducing its ability to pump blood.

Road traffic, more dangerous for former smokers

In detail, being more exposed to toxic fumes increases the risk of heart failure by about a fifth, or 72% more risk in former smokers. “We found that long-term exposure to air pollutants and noise specific to road traffic increased the risk of heart failure, especially for former smokers or people with high blood pressure, explains Dr. Youn-Hee Lim, lead author of the study. Preventive and educational measures are therefore necessary in order to minimize the impact of these exposures. Public awareness campaigns such as emission control measures should be implemented. Smoking cessation and control (more systematic) blood pressure should also be encouraged to help reduce individual risk.

Up to 17% increased risk of heart failure

To arrive at their findings, the scientists analyzed data collected over 20 years from more than 22,000 Danish nurses aged 44 and over. These concerned the levels of fine particles (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to which the participants were exposed by road traffic around their homes as well as the measurement of road traffic noise in decibels (dB) . At the same time, everyone had to complete a questionnaire on their body mass index, their medical and smoking history, their alcohol consumption, their working conditions, the physical activity they practiced and their eating habits.

The authors estimated that for every increase of between 5.1 and 8.6 micrograms per cubic meter squared in PM2.5 and NO2 over three years—a small amount—the risk of heart failure increased by 17%, respectively. and 10%. On the other hand, if the noise was 9.3 dB higher due to road traffic during the same period, the risk increased by 12%. “We were surprised by the interaction of two environmental factors: air pollution and road traffic noise”, emphasizes Dr. Youn-Hee Lim. On the other hand, researchers have also discovered a difference between men and women. The latter were more likely to have heart failure linked to high levels of air pollution and road traffic noise. Finally, 30% of nurses who suffered from heart failure had a history of hypertension. They were thus the group most vulnerable to air pollution.

12,000 deaths linked to noise pollution in Europe

Noise pollution is responsible for 12,000 premature deaths each year across Europe, according to theEuropean Environment Agency. 22 million people would also suffer from severe chronic discomfort and 6.5 million individuals would have significant chronic sleep disorders. The main noise pollution is road traffic (which affects 113 million people), rail and air traffic, as well as noise from industry. With the return of sunny days, there’s nothing like a short walk in a park or in the forest to escape the urban hubbub!