Background

Growing evidence supports the concept that traffic noise exposure leads to long-term health complications other than annoyance, including cardiovascular disease. Similar effects may be expected from wind turbine noise exposure, but evidence is sparse. Here, we examined the association between long-term exposure to wind turbine noise and incidence of myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods

We used the Danish Nurse Cohort with 28,731 female nurses and obtained data on incidence of MI in the Danish National Patient and Causes of Death Registries until ultimo 2013. Wind turbine noise levels at residential addresses between 1982 and 2013 were estimated using the Nord2000 noise propagation model, as the annual means of a weighted 24-hour average (L_den) at the most exposed façade. Time-varying Cox proportional hazard regression was used to examine the association between the 11-, 5- and 1-year rolling means prior to MI diagnosis of wind turbine noise levels and MI incidence.

Results

Of 23,994 nurses free of MI at cohort baseline, 686 developed MI by end of follow-up in 2013. At the cohort baseline (1993 or 1999), 10.4% nurses were exposed to wind turbine noise (≥1 turbine within a 6000-m radius of the residence) and 13.3% in 2013. Mean baseline residential noise levels among exposed nurses were 26.3 dB, higher in those who developed MI (26.6 dB) than among those who didn't develop MI (26.3 dB). We found no association between wind turbine noise and MI incidence: adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing nurses with 11-years mean residential noise levels of <21.5 dB, 21.5–25.4 dB, 25.4–29.9 dB, and >29.9 dB, to non-exposed nurses were 0.89 (0.64–1.25), 1.20 (0.82–1.77), 1.38 (0.95–2.01), and 0.88 (0.53–1.28), respectively. Corresponding HR (95% CI) for the linear association between 11-year mean levels of wind turbine noise (per 10 dB increase) with MI incidence was 0.99 (0.77–1.28). Similar associations were observed when considering the 5- and 1-year running means, and with no evidence of dose-response.

Conclusions

The results of this comprehensive cohort study lend little support to a causal association between outdoor long-term wind-turbine noise exposure and MI. However, there were only few cases in the highest exposure groups and our findings need reproduction.

中文翻译：

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丹麦护士队列中的长期风力涡轮机噪声暴露和心肌梗死的发生率

背景

越来越多的证据支持这样一种概念，即交通噪声暴露会导致除烦恼之外的长期健康并发症，包括心血管疾病。风力涡轮机的噪声暴露可能会产生类似的影响，但证据很少。在这里，我们检查了长期暴露在风力发电机噪声中与心肌梗塞（MI）发生率之间的关系。

方法

我们将丹麦护士队列与28,731名女护士一起使用，并获得了直到ultimo 2013为止的丹麦全国患者和死亡原因登记册中MI的发生率数据。使用Nord2000噪声传播模型估算了1982年至2013年之间住宅地址的风力涡轮机噪声水平，作为暴露在最外立面的24小时加权平均值（L _den）的年度平均值。在对风轮机噪声水平进行MI诊断之前，使用时变Cox比例风险回归法检查11年，5年和1年滚动平均值之间的关联。

结果

在截至2013年末的队列基线中，无心梗的23,994名护士中，到2013年末随访时有686名发展为心梗。在队列基线（1993年或1999年）中，有10.4％的护士暴露在风力涡轮机噪声中（6000米内≥1台涡轮机）在2013年为13.3％。在暴露的护士中，平均基线居住噪音水平为26.3 dB，比那些没有发展MI的护士（26.6 dB）要高。我们发现风轮机噪声与MI发生率之间没有关联：调整后的危险比（HRs）和95％置信区间（CIs）对11岁平均住宅噪声水平分别<21.5 dB，21.5–25.4 dB，25.4–29.9 dB的护士进行了比较和未接触护士的> 29.9 dB，分别为0.89（0.64–1.25），1.20（0.82–1.77），1.38（0.95–2.01）和0.88（0.53-1.28）。风力涡轮机噪声的11年平均水平（每增加10 dB）与MI发生率之间的线性相关性，对应的HR（95％CI）为0.99（0.77-1.28）。当考虑5年和1年跑步平均值时，观察到相似的关联，并且没有剂量反应的证据。

结论

这项综合性队列研究的结果很少支持室外长期风力涡轮机噪声暴露与MI之间的因果关系。但是，在最高暴露人群中只有少数病例，我们的发现需要重现。