Hypertension and exposure to noise near airports (HYENA): study design and noise exposure assessment. Environ Health Perspect 113

Hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Even a small contribution in risk from environmental factors may have a major impact on public health. The HYENA study aimed to assess the relations between noise from aircraft or road traffic near airports and the risk of hypertension. Blood pressure was measured, and data on health (history of hypertension, medication), socio-economic, life-style factors and potential effect and exposure modifiers (personality factors, remedies to reduce the noise) were collected via questionnaire at home visits for 4,861 persons aged 45 to 70, who had lived at least five years near any of six major European airports. Aircraft noise contours and road traffic noise levels were modeled using the Integrated Noise Model (INM) and national calculation methods. The noise levels were linked to each participant's home address using graphical information systems. Significant exposure-response relationships between night-time aircraft as well as average daily road traffic noise and risk of hypertension were found after adjustment for major confounders. For night-time aircraft noise (Lnight), a 10 dB(A