[Urban noise and myocardial infarction in the population].

ABSTRACT

Recent studies have pointed out a relation between urban noise and the occurrence of myocardial infarction in population. Public health importance of these results derives from the fact that 20% of the European population and 31% of the Japanese are exposed to equivalent noise levels exceeding 65 dBA, considered as "black acoustic zones" according to OECD criteria. Prospective epidemiological studies have found relative risks for myocardial infarction in these urban zones from 1.1 do 1.5. In studies with noise annoyance as an exposure indicator, interval of relative risks for myocardial infarction has been from 0.8 do 2.7 for persons with high degree of noise annoyance compared to those without noise disturbance.