Impact of Reduction in Aircraft Noise Exposure on Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness During Covid-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Objective: The COVID-19 lockdown caused unprecedented decline in environmental noise pollution. We aimed to evaluate the impact of aircraft noise exposure decrease during lockdown on blood pressure (BP) and selected hypertension-mediated organ damages. Design and method: As previously reported (J Hypertens. 2019; 37) in 2015 (1st observation) we examined group of inhabitants exposed to high (>60 dB) aircraft noise living near Cracow Airport (n = 101), and compared them to unexposed group (<55 dB) (n = 100). In June 2020, 4 months after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions introduction, we reassessed (2nd observation) 74 and 75 participants from previously exposed and unexposed groups, respectively, using the same study protocol. We collected medical history, office and ambulatory BP, echocardiographic and arterial stiffness data. Results: In exposed to aircraft noise group the prevalence of arterial hypertension increased from 1st to 2nd observation (P < 0.05). During lockdown in the noise exposed group office and 24 hour diastolic BP (DBP, P < 0.022) decreased significantly, which was accompanied by a significant drop in annoyance (P = 0.006). In this group in 2nd observation DBP was significantly lower than estimated DBP (i.e. calculated as a sum of DBP at 1st observation and parameter estimates of cross-sectional association of DBP and age multiplied by 5.5 year – time period between observations) (P = 0.047). The obtained decline in DBP from 1st to 2nd observation was grater in noise exposed than unexposed participants, even after adjustment for covariates. The carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), initially higher in noise exposed group, decreased from 1st to 2nd observation in both groups, however this was more pronounced in the exposed than unexposed group (P = 0.003). In 1st observation PWV in noise exposed participants did not show any relationship with age (Parameter Estimate (PE)=0.01 m/s/year; P = 0.71), while in 2nd observation, during aircraft noise decline caused by COVID-19 lockdown, the expected positive relation of PWV with age was reinstituted (PE = 0.15 m/s/year; P < 0.001). Conclusions: As our previous study indicated, aircraft noise exposure may increase BP and accelerate arterial stiffening. The decrease in BP and PWV due to noise intensity diminution, observed during COVID-19 lockdown, in fact provides evidence for this observation.