LIVING OR WORKING IN NOISY SURROUNDINGS MAY RAISE A PERSON'S RISK OF SUFFERING A HEART ATTACK, A NEW STUDY SUGGESTS. RESEARCHERS IN GERMANY FOUND THAT URBAN MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS WHO LIVED NEAR HIGH-TRAFFIC ROADS WERE 46 PERCENT MORE LIKELY TO SUFFER A HEART ATTACK THAN THOSE WHO LIVED IN MORE PEACEFUL NEIGHBORHOODS, REUTERS REPORTED. SIMILARLY, MEN WHOSE JOBS EXPOSED THEM TO HIGH NOISE LEVELS WERE ABOUT ONE-THIRD MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK THAN THEIR PEERS IN QUIETER WORKPLACES. THE REASON FOR THESE ASSOCIATIONS IS NOT COMPLETELY CLEAR, BUT THE STRESS OF DEALING WITH CHRONIC NOISE MAY BE INVOLVED, ACCORDING TO THE RESEARCHERS, LED BY DR. STEFAN N. WILLICH OF CHARITE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER IN BERLIN. A NUMBER OF PAST STUDIES HAVE SUGGESTED THAT LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO TRAFFIC NOISE OR LOUD WORKPLACES SUCH AS FACTORY FLOORS MAY CONTRIBUTE TO HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART ATTACK RISK. TO THE BODY, LOUD NOISE ACTS AS A 'WARNING,' AND THE NORMAL STRESS RESPONSE INVOLVES HORMONAL CHANGES AND A SPIKE IN BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART RATE. RESEARCHERS SUSPECT THAT OVER TIME, CHRONIC NOISE EXPOSURE MAY DAMAGE THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM. --MORE 22 23 LOCAL TIME 19 23 GMT
