Living near busy roads, railway lines or airports may increase the likelihood of developing heart conditions, according to a new study. The findings, which will be presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2026 in Chicago from November 6 to 9, suggest that prolonged exposure to transportation noise may increase the risk of major cardiovascular events and heart-related conditions even in those with regular sleep habits. Joseph Nguyen, an internal medicine resident physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center in Boston.
It was surprising to find that sleep health appeared to play no role." However, Nguyen cautioned that the findings only explore sleep disorders and abnormal sleep hours in the link between noise exposure and cardiovascular risk, so they cannot state definitively that sleep in general does not contribute to the association between noise exposure and cardiovascular disease. He told Newsweek that other biological factors, including the body's stress response, may play a larger role in the relationship between noise exposure and cardiovascular events, adding that future research using wearable devices could help detect changes in sleep quality and subtle sleep disturbances. The researchers analyzed medical records and lifestyle survey data from 108,051 adults enrolled in the Massachusetts General Brigham Biobank between 2010 and 2020.
Their median age was 57, and 58 percent were women. They also used data from the U.S. Department of Transportation to estimate the average 24-hour transportation noise levels near participants' homes.
The analysis found that exposure to transportation noise exceeding 50 decibels was associated with an 8 percent to 10 percent increase in the development of major cardiovascular risk factors, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. It was also linked to greater odds of experiencing a major heart event. High cholesterol showed the strongest relationship with noise exposure, followed by high blood pressure and diabetes.
The association remained similar among participants with healthy and unhealthy sleep patterns, including those diagnosed with a sleep disorder and those who regularly slept fewer than seven hours or more than nine hours per night. He also noted that the study measured average noise exposure across 24 hours, meaning actual noise levels at certain times could be considerably higher. For example, subway stations average 75 decibels at rest, but levels can potentially exceed 100 decibels when trains arrive or depart.
Moreover, Nguyen said that episodes of intense noise could potentially affect the cardiovascular system differently from chronic exposure, and the body's response could also vary depending on the time of day. "A future study assessing the cardiovascular effects of extreme noise exposure at different times may help to differentiate between the effects of brief, intense noise exposure and cumulative, long-term exposure." Some people may also be more vulnerable to the cardiovascular effects of noise than others. Nguyen said previous studies have indicated that people with established coronary artery disease and stress disorders, such as anxiety and depression, may be particularly susceptible.
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