City Life Increases Heart Disease Risk

A new Swedish study finds that living near a noisy street raises blood pressure, which over time could increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

By Dena Afrasiabi

If you live in a city, chances are you live near a noisy street where the sound of honking horns and rumbling engines is so commonplace you might not even notice it after a while. But even if you don't notice it, your body does.

According to a new Swedish study conducted at Lund University Hospital, traffic noise isn't just a nuisance, it also raises your blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke. The effects of traffic noise on health were most profound in the young adults and the middle-aged who participated in the study but showed less of an impact on the elderly. This means you may want to wait until your eighties to live in a noisy city. But if you can't or don't want to give up your urban lifestyle, try to find a relatively quiet street to live. Your heart will thank you.