Dataset Information

Association Between Long-Term Exposure to Wind Turbine Noise and the Risk of Stroke: Data From the Danish Nurse Cohort.

ABSTRACT: Background Epidemiological studies suggest that road traffic noise increases the risk of stroke. Similar effects may be expected from wind turbine noise (WTN) exposure, but epidemiological evidence is lacking. The present study investigated the association between long-term exposure to WTN and the risk for stroke. Methods and Results First-ever stroke in 28 731 female nurses in the Danish Nurse Cohort was identified in the Danish National Patient register until the end of 2013. WTN, traffic noise, and air pollution exposures were estimated for all historic and present residential addresses between 1982 and 2013. Time-varying Cox proportional hazard regression was used to examine the associations between the 11-, 5-, and 1-year rolling means of WTN levels and stroke incidence. Of 23 912 nurses free of stroke at the cohort baseline, 1097 nurses developed stroke by the end of follow-up. At the cohort baseline, 10.3% of nurses were exposed to WTN (?1 turbine within a 6000-meter radius of the residence) and 13.3% in 2013. Mean baseline residential noise levels among exposed nurses were 26.3 dB(A). No association between long-term WTN exposure and stroke incidence was found. The adjusted hazard ratios and 95% CIs for the 11-, 5-, and 1-year running mean residential WTN exposures preceding stroke diagnosis, comparing nurses with residential WTN levels above and below 20 dB(A) were 1.09 (0.90-1.31), 1.08 (0.89-1.31) and 1.08 (0.89-1.32), respectively. Conclusions This comprehensive cohort study lends no support to an association between long-term WTN exposure and stroke risk.

SUBMITTER: Brauner EV

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6662131 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Association Between Long-Term Exposure to Wind Turbine Noise and the Risk of Stroke: Data From the Danish Nurse Cohort.

Bräuner Elvira V EV Jørgensen Jeanette T JT Duun-Henriksen Anne Katrine AK Backalarz Claus C Laursen Jens E JE Pedersen Torben H TH Simonsen Mette K MK Andersen Zorana J ZJ

Journal of the American Heart Association 20190716 14

Background Epidemiological studies suggest that road traffic noise increases the risk of stroke. Similar effects may be expected from wind turbine noise (WTN) exposure, but epidemiological evidence is lacking. The present study investigated the association between long-term exposure to WTN and the risk for stroke. Methods and Results First-ever stroke in 28 731 female nurses in the Danish Nurse Cohort was identified in the Danish National Patient register until the end of 2013. WTN, traffic nois ...[more]

PMID: 31310571

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Project description:BackgroundRoad traffic noise has been linked to increased risk of ischemic heart disease, yet evidence on stroke shows mixed results. We examine the association between long-term exposure to road traffic noise and incidence of stroke, overall and by subtype (ischemic or hemorrhagic), after adjustment for air pollution.MethodsTwenty-five thousand six hundred and sixty female nurses from the Danish Nurse Cohort recruited in 1993 or 1999 were followed for stroke-related first-ever hospital contact until December 31st, 2014. Full residential address histories since 1970 were obtained and annual means of road traffic noise (Lden [dB]) and air pollutants (particulate matter with diameter < 2.5 μm and < 10 μm [PM2.5 and PM10], nitrogen dioxide [NO2], nitrogen oxides [NOx]) were determined using validated models. Time-varying Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) (95% confidence intervals [CI]) for the associations of one-, three-, and 23-year running means of Lden preceding stroke (all, ischemic or hemorrhagic), adjusting for stroke risk factors and air pollutants. The World Health Organization and the Danish government's maximum exposure recommendations of 53 and 58 dB, respectively, were explored as potential Lden thresholds.ResultsOf 25,660 nurses, 1237 developed their first stroke (1089 ischemic, 148 hemorrhagic) during 16 years mean follow-up. For associations between a 1-year mean of Lden and overall stroke incidence, the estimated HR (95% CI) in the fully adjusted model was 1.06 (0.98-1.14) per 10 dB, which attenuated to 1.01 (0.93-1.09) and 1.00 (0.91-1.09) in models further adjusted for PM2.5 or NO2, respectively. Associations for other exposure periods or separately for ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke were similar. There was no evidence of a threshold association between Lden and stroke.ConclusionsLong-term exposure to road traffic noise was suggestively positively associated with the risk of overall stroke, although not after adjusting for air pollution.

Project description:BackgroundEvidence on the association between road traffic noise and diabetes risk is sparse and inconsistent with respect to how confounding by air pollution was treated.ObjectivesIn this study, we aimed to examine whether long-term exposure to road traffic noise over 25 years is associated with incidence of diabetes, independent of air pollution.MethodsA total of 28,731 female nurses from the Danish Nurse cohort ([Formula: see text] at recruitment in 1993 or 1999) were linked to the Danish National Diabetes Register with information on incidence of diabetes from 1995 until 2013. The annual mean weighted levels of 24-h average road traffic noise ([Formula: see text]) at nurses' residences from 1970 until 2013 were estimated with the Nord2000 method and annual mean levels of particulate matter (PM) with diameter [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]), nitrogen dioxide ([Formula: see text]), and nitrogen oxide ([Formula: see text]) with the Danish AirGIS modeling system. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to examine the association between residential [Formula: see text] in four different exposure windows (1-, 5-, 10-, and 25-years) and the incidence of diabetes, adjusted for lifestyle factors and air pollutants.ResultsOf 23,762 nurses free of diabetes at the cohort baseline, 1,158 developed diabetes during a mean follow-up of 15.2 years. We found weak positive associations between 5-y mean exposure to [Formula: see text] (per [Formula: see text] increase) and diabetes incidence in a crude model [hazard ratio (HR): 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.99, 1.12], which attenuated in a model adjusted for lifestyle factors (HR:1.04; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.12), and reached unity after additional adjustment for [Formula: see text] (HR: 0.99; 0.91, 1.08). In analyses by level of urbanization, we found a positive association between noise and diabetes in urban areas (HR:1.27; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.63) that was unchanged after adjusting for [Formula: see text] (HR: 1.25; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.62), but we found no apparent association in provincial (HR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.18) or rural areas (HR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.87, 1.08).ConclusionIn the nationwide cohort of Danish nurses 44 years of age and older, we found no association between long-term exposure to road traffic noise and diabetes incidence after adjustment for [Formula: see text] but found suggestive evidence of an association limited to urban areas. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP4389.

Project description:BackgroundAssociations 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).ObjectivesThe goal of the study was to examine associations of long-term exposure to road traffic noise and air pollution with AF.MethodsTime-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.ResultsOf 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.ConclusionOur 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.

Project description:BACKGROUND: Wind turbine noise exposure and suspected health-related effects thereof have attracted substantial attention. Various symptoms such as sleep-related problems, headache, tinnitus and vertigo have been described by subjects suspected of having been exposed to wind turbine noise. OBJECTIVE: This review was conducted systematically with the purpose of identifying any reported associations between wind turbine noise exposure and suspected health-related effects. DATA SOURCES: A search of the scientific literature concerning the health-related effects of wind turbine noise was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar and various other Internet sources. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: All studies investigating suspected health-related outcomes associated with wind turbine noise exposure were included. RESULTS: Wind turbines emit noise, including low-frequency noise, which decreases incrementally with increases in distance from the wind turbines. Likewise, evidence of a dose-response relationship between wind turbine noise linked to noise annoyance, sleep disturbance and possibly even psychological distress was present in the literature. Currently, there is no further existing statistically-significant evidence indicating any association between wind turbine noise exposure and tinnitus, hearing loss, vertigo or headache. LIMITATIONS: Selection bias and information bias of differing magnitudes were found to be present in all current studies investigating wind turbine noise exposure and adverse health effects. Only articles published in English, German or Scandinavian languages were reviewed. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to wind turbines does seem to increase the risk of annoyance and self-reported sleep disturbance in a dose-response relationship. There appears, though, to be a tolerable level of around LAeq of 35 dB. Of the many other claimed health effects of wind turbine noise exposure reported in the literature, however, no conclusive evidence could be found. Future studies should focus on investigations aimed at objectively demonstrating whether or not measureable health-related outcomes can be proven to fluctuate depending on exposure to wind turbines.

Project description:BackgroundAir pollution exposure has been linked to coronary heart disease, although evidence on PM2.5 and myocardial infarction (MI) incidence is mixed.ObjectivesThis prospective cohort study aimed to investigate associations between long-term exposure to air pollution and MI incidence, adjusting for road traffic noise.MethodsWe used data from the nationwide Danish Nurse Cohort on 22,882 female nurses (>44?years of age) who, at recruitment in 1993 or 1999, reported information on cardiovascular disease risk factors. Data on MI incidence was collected from the Danish National Patient Register until the end of 2014. Annual mean concentrations of particulate matter (PM) with a diameter <2.5??g/m3 (PM2.5), PM10, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) at the nurses' residences since 1990 (PM10 and PM2.5) or 1970 (NO2 and NOx) were estimated using the Danish Eulerian Hemispheric Model/Urban Background Model/AirGIS (DEHM/UBM/AirGIS) dispersion model. We used time-varying Cox regression models to examine the association between 1- and 3-y running means of these pollutants, as well as 23-y running means of NO2 and NOx, with both overall and fatal incident MI. Associations were explored in three progressively adjusted models: Model 1, adjusted for age and baseline year; Model 2, with further adjustment for potential confounding by lifestyle and cardiovascular disease risk factors; and Model 3, with further adjustment for road traffic noise, modeled as the annual mean of a weighted 24-h average (Lden).ResultsOf the 22,882 women, 641 developed MI during a mean follow-up of 18.6 y, 121 (18.9%) of which were fatal. Reported hazard ratios (HRs) were based on interquartile range increases of 5.3, 5.5, 8.1, and 11.5??g/m3 for PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and NOx, respectively. In Model 1, we observed a positive association between a 3-y running mean of PM2.5 and an overall incident MI with an HR=?1.20 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.35), which attenuated to HR=?1.06 (95% CI: 0.92, 1.23) in Model 2. In Model 1 for incident fatal MI, we observed a strong association with a 3-y running mean of PM2.5, with an HR=?1.69 (95% CI: 1.33, 2.13), which attenuated to HR=?1.35 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.81) in Model 2. Similar associations were seen for PM10, with 3-y, Model 2 estimates for overall and fatal incident MI of HR=?1.06 (95% CI: 0.91, 1.23) and HR=?1.35 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.81), respectively. No evidence of an association was observed for NO2 or NOx. For all pollutants, associations in Model 2 were robust to further adjustment for road traffic noise in Model 3 and were similar for a 1-y running mean exposure.ConclusionsWe found no association between long-term exposure to PM2.5, PM10, NO2, or NOx and overall MI incidence, but we observed positive associations for PM2.5 and PM10 with fatal MI. We present novel findings that the association between PM and MI incidence is robust to adjustment for road traffic noise. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5818.

Dataset Information

Association Between Long-Term Exposure to Wind Turbine Noise and the Risk of Stroke: Data From the Danish Nurse Cohort.

Publications

Association Between Long-Term Exposure to Wind Turbine Noise and the Risk of Stroke: Data From the Danish Nurse Cohort.

Similar Datasets

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