Noise causes cardiovascular disease: it’s time to act

A paper co-authored by Quiet Communities founder and president Jamie Banks alongside leading cardiovascular researchers presents comprehensive evidence that transportation noise causes cardiovascular disease through mechanisms including oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. The review finds that road traffic noise is associated with a 3.2% increase in overall cardiovascular risk per 10 dB increase in noise level, and that chronic exposure does not lead to habituation, with nighttime noise being particularly harmful. The authors call for immediate policy action, urging professional societies to recognize noise as a significant cardiovascular risk factor and policymakers to reduce public exposure to harmful noise levels. Read the full article here.