Rolf Langebartels
Internetproject Soundbag


 
SOUNDBAG No. 148
update from December 15th, 2005
In a study Stefan Willich and other researchers from the Universitätsklinikum der Berliner Charité find out, that people permanently exposed to noise at work or at home have a high risk of myocardial infarction. The effect of subjectively felt noise burden and also the effect of objective levels of noise are investigated in their study.
The subjective annoyance by noise is only a marginally increased risk. Only the objective dB-values are relevant. Women and men, who are exposed to an objectively strong noise in their environment, have both an increased infarction risk (odds ratios 1.46, 1.02-2.09, P = 0.040 and 3.36, 1.40-8.06, P = 0.007). In respect to work noise men have an increased risk (odds ratio 1.31, 1.01-1.70, P ¼ 0.045), but not the women.
The cause of this negative effect of noise on the human heart is not yet completely known.
Increased risk of myocardial infarction by noise burden
The study was published in the European Heart Journal, Online-issue from November 24th 2005 .
Further information about the term Odds Ratio .
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