Road traffic noise, air pollutants, and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in Taichung, Taiwan

Background: A few studies have investigated the interaction between exposure to road traffic noise, air pollutants, and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but their results were inconsistent. This cross-sectional study investigated whether road traffic noise, particulate matter with dynamic diameter less than 10 µm (PM₁₀) and nitrogen dioxides (NO₂) exposure were independently associated with the risk of CVD. Methods: We recruited 663 volunteers who had been living near main roads for more than three years in 2008. Information concerning the subjects’ home addresses was combined with noise measurements at 42 locations and annual average of air pollutants from 2 monitoring stations to estimate individual exposure. Multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) for diagnosed CVD, adjusting for potential confounders and co-exposure. Results: Only per 5-dBA increase in road traffic noise was significantly associated with elevated risk of CVD (adjusted OR = 2.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.26–3.93) in the single-exposure models. Such association was aggravated (adjusted OR = 2.96, 95% CI = 1.41–6.23) after adjustment for total traffic and PM₁₀ or NO₂ in the two-exposure models. Conclusions: Road traffic noise exposure may be associated with the increasing prevalence of CVD. No synergistic association was observed between co-exposure to noise and air pollutants and the risk of CVD.