Factory Noise Tied to Higher Blood Pressure in Workers

FRIDAY, Aug. 30, 2024 (HealthDay News) — There is an independent association between noise exposure duration and elevated blood pressure in factory workers, according to a study presented at ACC Asia 2024, the joint meeting of the American College of Cardiology and the Cardiological Society of India, held from Aug. 16 to 18 in Delhi, India.

Golam Dastageer Prince, M.B.B.S., M.P.H., from the Directorate of General of Health Services in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and colleagues investigated the association between occupational noise exposure duration and blood pressure among rural adult power loom weavers. The analysis included interviews with 289 adult factory workers.

The researchers found that workplace exposure duration averaged 15.97 years, with noise intensity ranging from 96 to 111 dB (mean, 105.45 dB). The prevalence of hypertension was 31.5 percent, with 53.3 percent fitting the criteria for prehypertension. There were positive correlations observed between systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and noise exposure duration. SBP and DBP were predicted by linear regression for noise exposure duration. After adjusting for age, body mass index, and smoking status, each year of noise exposure increased the odds of hypertension by 10 percent (adjusted odds ratio, 1.1).

“As the study focused on workers exposed to more than 85 dB noise for long periods of time, any profession causing workers to experience similar exposure might experience similar blood pressure impacts,” Prince said in a statement. “We definitely need more exploratory studies to reveal more information about the potential mechanisms and long-term health outcomes.”

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