Occupational Noise and Hypertension Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

TY - JOUR

T1 - Occupational Noise and Hypertension Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

AU - Bolm-Audorff, Ulrich

AU - Hegewald, Janice

AU - Pretzsch, Anna

AU - Freiberg, Alice

AU - Nienhaus, Albert

AU - Seidler, Andreas

PY - 2020/8/28

Y1 - 2020/8/28

N2 - A number of epidemiological studies report an association between occupational noise exposure and arterial hypertension. Existing systematic reviews report conflicting results, so we conducted an updated systematic review with meta-analysis. We registered the review protocol with PROSPERO (registration no.: CRD 42019147923) and searched for observational epidemiological studies in literature databases (Medline, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science). Two independent reviewers screened the titles/abstracts and full texts of the studies. Two reviewers also did the quality assessment and data extraction. Studies without adequate information on recruitment, response, or without a comparison group that was exposed to occupational noise under 80 dB(A) were excluded. The literature search yielded 4583 studies, and 58 studies were found through hand searching. Twenty-four studies were included in the review. The meta-analysis found a pooled effect size (ES) for hypertension (systolic/diastolic blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg) due to noise exposures ≥80 dB(A) of 1.81 (95% CI 1.51-2.18). There is no substantial risk difference between men and women, but data concerning this question are limited. We found a positive dose-response-relationship: ES = 1.21 (95% CI 0.78-1.87) ≤ 80 dB(A), ES = 1.77 (95% CI 1.36-2.29) >80-≤85 dB(A), and ES = 3.50 (95% CI 1.56-7.86) >85-≤90 dB(A). We found high quality of evidence that occupational noise exposure increases the risk of hypertension.

AB - A number of epidemiological studies report an association between occupational noise exposure and arterial hypertension. Existing systematic reviews report conflicting results, so we conducted an updated systematic review with meta-analysis. We registered the review protocol with PROSPERO (registration no.: CRD 42019147923) and searched for observational epidemiological studies in literature databases (Medline, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science). Two independent reviewers screened the titles/abstracts and full texts of the studies. Two reviewers also did the quality assessment and data extraction. Studies without adequate information on recruitment, response, or without a comparison group that was exposed to occupational noise under 80 dB(A) were excluded. The literature search yielded 4583 studies, and 58 studies were found through hand searching. Twenty-four studies were included in the review. The meta-analysis found a pooled effect size (ES) for hypertension (systolic/diastolic blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg) due to noise exposures ≥80 dB(A) of 1.81 (95% CI 1.51-2.18). There is no substantial risk difference between men and women, but data concerning this question are limited. We found a positive dose-response-relationship: ES = 1.21 (95% CI 0.78-1.87) ≤ 80 dB(A), ES = 1.77 (95% CI 1.36-2.29) >80-≤85 dB(A), and ES = 3.50 (95% CI 1.56-7.86) >85-≤90 dB(A). We found high quality of evidence that occupational noise exposure increases the risk of hypertension.

KW - Blood Pressure/physiology

KW - Humans

KW - Hypertension/epidemiology

KW - Noise, Occupational/adverse effects

KW - Occupational Diseases/epidemiology

KW - Occupational Exposure/adverse effects

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph17176281

DO - 10.3390/ijerph17176281

M3 - SCORING: Review article

C2 - 32872306

VL - 17

JO - INT J ENV RES PUB HE

JF - INT J ENV RES PUB HE

SN - 1660-4601

IS - 17

ER -