Loud Noises Can Cause Heart Problems (Not Just Hearing Loss)!

According to a new study, people who work in noisy places for at least a year and a half could have triple the risk of a serious heart problem including a heart attack and severe chest pain compared to those who work in quiet environments. Of course, we all know such loud environment can also cause hearing loss.

6,000 people who were at least 20 years old and employed were surveyed from 1999 to 2004. Other heart risk factors including elevated Body Mass Index and smoking were statistically adjusted for.

Noisy occupations include not only welders, garage mechanics and forklift operators, but also dentists, construction workers, nursery school teachers and classical musicians.

Why would loud noises cause heart problems? It is felt that noisy environments typically are more stressful leading to higher levels of stress hormones which can contribute to heart problems. Still... quitting smoking and losing weight are more important to your heart health than avoiding noisy environments.

Read the research here.

Read a MSNBC article about this research here.

Reference:
Exposure to occupational noise and cardiovascular disease in the United States: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2004. Occup Environ Med doi:10.1136/oem.2010.055269

Allergies Associated with Heart Disease!

First weight gain and now heart disease. Allergies is certainly getting bad rap (though it has been associated with decreased risk of cancer).

Researchers in Philadelphia have found an association between allergies and heart disease when analyzing data from more than 8,600 adults aged 20 or older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 1988 and 1994.

After adjusting for other related factors, such as age and asthma, there was a 2.6-fold increased risk of heart disease with wheezing and a 40 percent increased risk with rhinoconjunctivitis, compared to no allergies.

Researchers suggested that the intermittent inflammation that comes with allergies may lead to the thickening of artery walls with subsequent development of heart disease. It could also be that some people simply carry genes that are linked to the development of both allergies and heart disease.

Clearly more research is needed to clarify this relationship.

Reference:
Relation Between Common Allergic Symptoms and Coronary Heart Disease Among NHANES III Participants Am J Cardiology Received 19 March 2010; accepted 20 May 2010. published online 13 August 2010.