Noise not only affects sleep and causes hearing damage, it can also increase waist circumference!

Noise is harmful to human health. At the mildest level, it distracts people. At the worst, it can cause tremendous psychological stress, or lead to hearing damage, impaired sleep quality, etc. The latest foreign research points out that long-term exposure to airport noise can actually lead to an increase in waist circumference! For every 10 decibel increase in noise levels, the average waist circumference increases by 1 centimeter.

According to a four-year study by Karolinska University in Sweden, cited by The Times of India, the greater the noise from urban traffic, the greater the increase in residents' waist circumference. Noise not only affects adults, but also affects the birth weight of unborn babies.

The louder the noise from urban traffic, the greater the increase in residents' waist circumference.

Another research report also proposed by Karolinska University in Sweden came to similar conclusions. The study tracked 5,156 people over 10 years and, after eliminating the effects of lifestyle habits such as smoking, found that people living near Sweden's Arlanda Airport had an average waist circumference increase of 6 centimeters compared to those who were not affected by airport noise at all. Studies have shown that people who are disturbed by airport noise have increased secretion of the stress hormone cortisol in their bodies, which may lead to fat accumulation.

Noise increases risk of cardiovascular disease

Research from Karolinska University also pointed out that in addition to causing obesity, noise can also indirectly affect the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Coincidentally, the British Medical Journal also compiled two studies from the UK and the US, pointing out the impact of noise on cardiovascular disease.

In addition to making people obese, noise also indirectly affects the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.

The British study observed medical consultation rates and cardiovascular disease mortality rates in 12 London boroughs and nine districts in west London from 2001 to 2005, and compared them with the noise level at London Heathrow Airport. The researchers found that residents living near airports had increased rates of medical attention and mortality from stroke, coronary heart disease and other heart diseases, especially those exposed to the highest decibels, which accounted for about 2% of all study subjects.

A study by the Harvard School of Public Health and the Boston University School of Public Health analyzed approximately 6 million people over the age of 65 with U.S. federal health insurance who live near 89 U.S. airports and found that for every 10-decibel increase in airport noise, the rate of hospitalization for cardiovascular disease increased by 3.5%. About 2.3% of cardiovascular hospitalizations among older residents near airports were thought to be related to airport noise.

Noise also affects the unborn baby

Another report from Utrecht University in the Netherlands studied 68,000 newborns and found that for every 6 decibel increase in traffic noise, the baby's birth weight would decrease by 15 to 23 grams. Low birth weight in newborns can easily lead to many health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.