Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder in which certain areas of the brain are damaged over time. It can affect movements, balance, and other bodily functions.
Read more „Lidl Lietuva“ communication will be led by Ovidija Ferencienė
Previous studies have already revealed possible biological mechanisms linking noise to Parkinson’s disease. Most attention is given to the long-term body response to stress and sleep disruption.
Risk increased with rising noise
In the new study, scientists assessed the road traffic noise exposure experienced by people at their place of residence. Noise levels were calculated for both the most and least noise-exposed sides of the building.
The results showed that on the most noise-exposed side of the house, every 11.5 decibel increase in noise level during the study period was associated with about a 3% higher risk of Parkinson’s disease.
The effect was not very large, but the association remained consistent. Researchers also noticed that having a quieter, less noise-exposed side at home might weaken this association.
More than 3 million people participated in the study
The study published in the journal „JAMA Neurology“ involved 3.1 million Danish residents over 40 years old. Their health data were monitored for 18 years.
The study was conducted using information from national health registries and is the largest work to date examining the link between road traffic noise and Parkinson’s disease.
Until now, the risk of neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s, was more often associated with other environmental factors – air pollution, microplastics, or pesticides. Noise as a possible risk factor has only recently begun to be studied.
One of the study’s authors, Thomas Münzel, stated that these results show that environmental noise should now be considered not only as a theoretical but also as a possible real risk factor for Parkinson’s disease.
Sleep may play an important role
It is believed that constant noise disturbing sleep can increase the level of the stress hormone cortisol in the body.
Read more As hopes for the Hormuz agreement fade, oil prices continue to rise
However, Anna Hansell, a professor of environmental epidemiology at the University of Leicester who was not involved in this study, emphasized that noise is more likely to act as a general long-term stress factor rather than a specific cause of Parkinson’s disease.
She also pointed out that this type of study does not prove causation – it only shows an association.
A quieter room may matter
Dr. Peter Chan, senior researcher at the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford, drew attention to another interesting finding – noise levels can vary greatly even within the same dwelling.
According to him, people can reduce noise exposure by spending more time or sleeping in rooms located on the quieter side of the home.
However, the scientist emphasized that it is difficult to completely separate the effect of noise from other factors when evaluating the study results. Some possible risk factors for Parkinson’s disease are also related to social and economic status.
The study authors assessed the impact of air pollution but did not have detailed information about the lifestyle of all participants. Nevertheless, they noticed that the association between noise and Parkinson’s disease remained independent of people’s education and income.
John Stewart, head of the UK Noise Association, said that this study adds to the growing body of data on the impact of road traffic noise on physical and mental health.
According to him, the association was strongest where noise was highest – primarily near main, busy traffic streets.
