idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
Even a single night of moderate road traffic noise at comparatively low levels increases the heart rate, is associated with changes in proteins involved in immune and stress signaling pathways, and can impair vascular function and sleep quality. This was discovered by researchers at University Medical Center Mainz in a controlled human study using cardiovascular measurements and blood analyses. Their findings provide experimental evidence of biological mechanisms that could explain the link between road traffic noise and cardiovascular disease. The study has been published in the journal Cardiovascular Research.
Traffic noise is one of the most common environmental pollutants in Europe. Long-term observational studies have shown that prolonged exposure to noise is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and other cardiovascular diseases. However, little research has been done to date on how the body reacts directly to road traffic noise, the most common source of noise in Europe, at night. A research team led by Dr. Omar Hahad, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Thomas Münzel, and Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Daiber from the Department of Cardiology at the University Medical Center Mainz has addressed this research question.
In their study, “A randomized, double-blind, crossover study of acute low-level night-time road traffic noise: effects on vascular function, sleep, and proteomic signatures in healthy adults,” the researchers found that even traffic noise averaging around 41 to 44 decibels can trigger measurable stress responses in the body. “The study provides controlled experimental evidence that acute nighttime road traffic noise directly interferes with the regulation of the vascular system. We see both functional changes and accompanying activation of certain biological signaling pathways,” emphasizes study leader and first author Dr. Hahad.
Sleeping under realistic noise conditions
In order to investigate the acute effects of road traffic noise on the 74 study participants, the researchers simulated different levels of exposure: one night without additional noise and one night each with 30 and 60 road traffic noise events at an average volume of 41 to 44 decibels for 1 minute and 15 seconds each. The noise exposure occurred every 11.5 or 9.5 minutes via loudspeakers in the participants' private bedrooms. The next morning, the researchers evaluated the cardiovascular measurements from the night, analyzed blood samples for proteins involved in inflammatory processes, and examined the elasticity of the blood vessels. In the controlled, randomized, double-blind study, neither the participants nor the researchers who performed the measurements knew what sound levels they had been exposed to during the night.
Variation in individual noise sensitivity
The participants who were exposed to the noise sequences reported a perceived decline in sleep quality. Their reactions to the noise varied, indicating individual sensitivity to noise. Using a combination of heart rate analysis, molecular blood tests, and vascular measurements, the researchers were able to detect both functional and biological changes, which confirmed the reported impairment – even after just one night: Heart rate increased after individual noise events, changes in immune and inflammation-associated proteins were observed in the blood, and ultrasound measurements confirmed reduced blood vessel elasticity. This endothelial function in particular is considered an early warning sign for vascular health. “Our study findings could explain the molecular disease mechanisms triggered by noise in humans,” emphasizes Professor Daiber, head of the Molecular Cardiology research group at the Department of Cardiology at the University Medical Center Mainz.
11 million Germans are exposed to noise at night
The authors of the study advocate consistent noise protection measures, such as 30 km/h speed limits in urban areas and more green spaces as natural sound barriers. “Noise protection is heart protection,” emphasizes Professor Münzel. "Every decibel reduction means less stress on blood vessels, less inflammation in the blood – and, in the long term, fewer heart attacks and strokes. Urban planning is therefore not an aesthetic issue, but a cardiovascular prevention strategy. Healthy cities are quiet cities." Further research is needed to better understand how the results of this short-term study might be related to the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease, say the study authors. According to the UBA, more than 11 million people in Germany are exposed to nighttime traffic noise of at least 50 decibels.
Original publication:
Omar Hahad, Patrick Foos, Jonas Hübner, Christina Große-Dresselhaus, Frank P. Schmidt, Mir Abolfazl Ostad, Marin Kuntic, Lukas Hobohm, Karsten Keller, Volker H. Schmitt, Thomas Köck, Philipp Wild, Irene Schmidtmann, Mette Sørensen, Martin Röösli, Paul Stamm, Alexander von Kriegsheim, Johannes Herzog, Philipp Lurz, Andreas Daiber, Thomas Münzel.
A randomized, double-blind, crossover study of acute low-level night-time road traffic noise: effects on vascular function, sleep, and proteomic signatures in healthy adults, Cardiovascular Research (2026)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvag028
Dr. rer. Physiol. Omar Hahad
Department of Cardiology
University Medical Center Mainz
Omar.Hahad@unimedizin-mainz.de
Omar Hahad, Patrick Foos, Jonas Hübner, Christina Große-Dresselhaus, Frank P. Schmidt, Mir Abolfazl Ostad, Marin Kuntic, Lukas Hobohm, Karsten Keller, Volker H. Schmitt, Thomas Köck, Philipp Wild, Irene Schmidtmann, Mette Sørensen, Martin Röösli, Paul Stamm, Alexander von Kriegsheim, Johannes Herzog, Philipp Lurz, Andreas Daiber, Thomas Münzel.
A randomized, double-blind, crossover study of acute low-level night-time road traffic noise: effects on vascular function, sleep, and proteomic signatures in healthy adults, Cardiovascular Research (2026)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvag028
The study authors (from left to right): Dr. Omar Hahad, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Daiber und Univ.-Pro ...
Source: Peter Pulkowski
Copyright: UM/Peter Pulkowski
Even relatively low noise levels can impair health and sleep quality.
Copyright: UM/Canva
Criteria of this press release:
Journalists, all interested persons
Biology, Medicine, Nutrition / healthcare / nursing, Traffic / transport
transregional, national
Research results, Scientific Publications
English
You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.
You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).
Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.
You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).
If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).
