title: Hypertension and Exposure to Noise near Airports (HYENA): study design and noise exposure assessment.
abstract: An increasing number of people live near airports with considerable noise and air pollution. The Hypertension and Exposure to Noise near Airports (HYENA) project aims to assess the impact of airport-related noise exposure on blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular disease using a cross-sectional study design. We selected 6,000 persons (45-70 years of age) who had lived at least 5 years near one of six major European airports. We used modeled aircraft noise contours, aiming to maximize exposure contrast. Automated BP instruments are used to reduce observer error. We designed a standardized questionnaire to collect data on annoyance, noise disturbance, and major confounders. Cortisol in saliva was collected in a subsample of the study population (n = 500) stratified by noise exposure level. To investigate short-term noise effects on BP and possible effects on nighttime BP dipping, we measured 24-hr BP and assessed continuous night noise in another subsample (n = 200). To ensure comparability between countries, we used common noise models to assess individual noise exposure, with a resolution of 1 dB(A). Modifiers of individual exposure, such as the orientation of living and bedroom toward roads, window-opening habits, and sound insulation, were assessed by the questionnaire. For four airports, we estimated exposure to air pollution to explore modifying effects of air pollution on cardiovascular disease. The project assesses exposure to traffic-related air pollutants, primarily using data from another project funded by the European Union (APMoSPHERE, Air Pollution Modelling for Support to Policy on Health and Environmental Risks in Europe).
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom. l.jarup@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jarup
authors.forename: Marie-Louise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Dudley
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Babisch
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Houthuijs
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Swart
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pershagen
authors.forename: Gösta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bluhm
authors.forename: Klea
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katsouyanni
authors.forename: Manolis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Velonakis
authors.forename: Ennio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cadum
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vigna-Taglianti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000032:analysis; D000401:Aircraft; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
chemical_list: D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D006854:Hydrocortisone