Long-Term Exposure to Road Traffic Noise and Air Pollution, and Incident Atrial Fibrillation in the Danish Nurse Cohort

TY - JOUR

T1 - Long-Term Exposure to Road Traffic Noise and Air Pollution, and Incident Atrial Fibrillation in the Danish Nurse Cohort

AU - Andersen, Zorana J.

AU - Cramer, Johannah

AU - Jorgensen, Jeanette T.

AU - Dehlendorff, Christian

AU - Amini, Heresh

AU - Mehta, Amar

AU - Cole-Hunter, Tom

AU - Mortensen, Laust Hvas

AU - Westendorp, Rudi

AU - So, Rina

AU - Li, Shuo

AU - Hoffmann, Barbara

AU - Loft, Steffen

AU - Bräuner, Elvira V

AU - Ketzel, Matthias

AU - Hertel, Ole

AU - Brandt, Jørgen

AU - Jensen, Steen Solvang

AU - Christensen, Jesper Heile

AU - Geels, Camilla

AU - Frohn, Lise Marie

AU - Backalarz, Claus

AU - K. Simonsen, Mette

AU - Lim, Youn Hee

PY - 2021/8

Y1 - 2021/8

N2 - BACKGROUND: Associations between long-term exposure to air pollution and road traffic noise have been established for ischemic heart disease, but findings have been mixed for atrial fibrillation (AF). OBJECTIVES: The goal of the study was to examine associations of long-term exposure to road traffic noise and air pollution with AF. METHODS: Time-varying Cox regression models were used to estimate associations of 1-, 3-, and 23-y mean road traffic noise and air pollution exposures with AF incidence in 23,528 women enrolled in the Danish Nurse Cohort (age >44 y at baseline in 1993 or 1999). AF diagnoses were ascer-tained via the Danish National Patient Register. Annual mean weighted 24-h average road traffic noise levels (L den) at the nurses’ residences, since 1970, were estimated using the Nord2000 model, and annual mean levels of particulate matter with a diameter <2:5 lm (PM 2:5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) were estimated using the DEHM/UBM/AirGIS model. RESULTS: Of 23,528 nurses with no prior AF diagnosis at the cohort baseline, 1,522 developed AF during follow-up. In a fully adjusted model (including PM 2:5), the estimated risk of AF was 18% higher [hazard ratio (HR); 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18; 1.02, 1.36] in nurses with residential 3-y mean L den levels >58 dB vs. <48 dB, with similar findings for 1-y mean exposures. A 3:9-lg/m 3 increase in 3-y mean PM 2:5 was associated with incident AF before and after adjustment for concurrent exposure to road traffic noise (HR 1.09; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.20 and 1.08; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.19, respectively). Associations with 1-y mean PM 2:5 exposures were positive but closer to the null and not significant. Associations with NO 2 were null for all time periods before and after adjustment for road traffic noise and inverse when adjusted for concurrent PM 2:5. CONCLUSION: Our analysis of prospective data from a cohort of Danish female nurses followed for up to 14 y provided suggestive evidence of independent associations between incident AF and 1-and 3-y exposures to road traffic noise and PM 2:5. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8090.

AB - BACKGROUND: Associations between long-term exposure to air pollution and road traffic noise have been established for ischemic heart disease, but findings have been mixed for atrial fibrillation (AF). OBJECTIVES: The goal of the study was to examine associations of long-term exposure to road traffic noise and air pollution with AF. METHODS: Time-varying Cox regression models were used to estimate associations of 1-, 3-, and 23-y mean road traffic noise and air pollution exposures with AF incidence in 23,528 women enrolled in the Danish Nurse Cohort (age >44 y at baseline in 1993 or 1999). AF diagnoses were ascer-tained via the Danish National Patient Register. Annual mean weighted 24-h average road traffic noise levels (L den) at the nurses’ residences, since 1970, were estimated using the Nord2000 model, and annual mean levels of particulate matter with a diameter <2:5 lm (PM 2:5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) were estimated using the DEHM/UBM/AirGIS model. RESULTS: Of 23,528 nurses with no prior AF diagnosis at the cohort baseline, 1,522 developed AF during follow-up. In a fully adjusted model (including PM 2:5), the estimated risk of AF was 18% higher [hazard ratio (HR); 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18; 1.02, 1.36] in nurses with residential 3-y mean L den levels >58 dB vs. <48 dB, with similar findings for 1-y mean exposures. A 3:9-lg/m 3 increase in 3-y mean PM 2:5 was associated with incident AF before and after adjustment for concurrent exposure to road traffic noise (HR 1.09; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.20 and 1.08; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.19, respectively). Associations with 1-y mean PM 2:5 exposures were positive but closer to the null and not significant. Associations with NO 2 were null for all time periods before and after adjustment for road traffic noise and inverse when adjusted for concurrent PM 2:5. CONCLUSION: Our analysis of prospective data from a cohort of Danish female nurses followed for up to 14 y provided suggestive evidence of independent associations between incident AF and 1-and 3-y exposures to road traffic noise and PM 2:5. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8090.

U2 - 10.1289/EHP8090

DO - 10.1289/EHP8090

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34338552

SN - 0091-6765

VL - 129

JO - Environmental Health Perspectives

JF - Environmental Health Perspectives

IS - 8

M1 - 087002

ER -