A link was found between occupational noise exposure and high blood pressure

A study by the American College of Cardiology found that chronic occupational noise exposure in powerloom weavers was associated with increased blood pressure levels.

The study, which the college said was presented this week at the ACC Asia 2024 conference in Delhi, India, also said a worker’s chance of developing high blood pressure increased by 10 percent for each year of exposure.

“In addition to treating hypertension by appropriate means, we need to find ways to mitigate noise exposure if we want to reduce cardiovascular risk in these patients,” said Golam Dastageer Prince, a Bangladeshi physician and one of the study’s members. the lead authors said in a statement.

The researchers looked primarily at 289 male workers in Bangladesh between January and December 2023 and found that the study population did not wear hearing protection.

The study’s authors said the goal is to raise awareness of noise-induced hearing loss, but also to focus on improving workplace safety through the use of appropriate personal protective equipment.

Study participants were found to have a 31.5% high blood pressure rate, and an additional 53.3% were considered prehypertensive.

The study focused on workers exposed to more than 85 decibels of occupational noise for long periods of time.