14 DAY TRIAL // A snoring partner means more than a bad night sleep. A new research published in the European Heart Journal shows that it can increase your blood pressure, no matter if you are awake or asleep. Hypertension is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and dementia.
In fact snoring can reach 90 decibels, the same value like in the case of as a passing train. Other health risky sounds are aircraft noise and heavy traffic, and the louder the sounds, the higher the risk.
The team monitored 140 sleeping subjects at their homes near Heathrow and three other major European airports. The researchers discovered that any noise having values higher than 35 decibels increased the blood pressure in the subjects of the study.
Aircraft noise induced an average rise in systolic heartbeat blood pressure of 6.2 mmHg, while the diastolic pressure (between heart contractions) was risen by 7.4 mmHg (high blood pressures are considered the values over 140/90 mmHg). Traffic induces the same blood pressure rises.
Any 5 decibel rise in aircraft noise was correlated with a 0.66 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure.
The source of the sound or its type did not matter; just the volume did count.
"Noise from air traffic can be a source of irritation, but it can also be damaging for people's health. Our studies show that night-time aircraft noise can affect your blood pressure instantly and increase the risk of hypertension [high blood pressure]. Measures should be taken to reduce noise levels from overhead aircraft, especially at night," said co-author Dr Lars Jarup, from Imperial College London.
Other recent studies had connected living close to an airport or under a flight path to high blood pressure. A research, published recently in the the journal Environmental Health Perspective, revealed that living at least five years in such a location was linked to a significantly higher risk of hypertension, compared to subjects inhabiting quieter locations. A 10 decibel increase in night-time aircraft noise caused a blood pressure rise of 14 %.