Traffic Noise Increases the Risk of Having a Stroke, Study Suggests

Research at the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society in Copenhagen has indicated that

• for every 10 decibels of additional traffic noise the risk of having a stroke increased by 14% among the 51,485 study participants
•  for people aged less than 65 years there was no statistically significant increased risk of stroke; however, the risk increased by 27% for every 10dB of higher road traffic noise in those aged 65 years and over.

In older people they found indications of a threshold limit at approximately 60 dB, above which the risk for stroke seemed to increase even more.

The researchers made allowances in their calculations for the effect of air pollution, exposure to railway and aircraft noise, as well as a range of other confounding life-style factors such as smoking, diet, alcohol and caffeine

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110126081700.htm

Given the large sample this research is worth considering carefully.  Around 10 percent of the population live on a main road, and may be exposed to elevated levels of traffic noise.