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Acute effects of night-time noise exposure on blood pressure in ...

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660<br />

recorder, and ABPM device) and the participants’ alarm clock were<br />

synchr<strong>on</strong>ized at 1 m<strong>in</strong> precisi<strong>on</strong>.<br />

Specially tra<strong>in</strong>ed nurses <strong>in</strong>stalled the <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> equipment, placed the<br />

ABPM device <strong>on</strong> the participants and gave them written <strong>in</strong>structi<strong>on</strong>s,<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g a home visit at least 3 h before normal sleep<strong>in</strong>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>time</str<strong>on</strong>g>. Each participant<br />

was <strong>in</strong>structed not to engage <strong>in</strong> unusually heavy activity dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

the measurements’ period and filled <strong>in</strong> a sleep log <strong>in</strong>dicat<strong>in</strong>g actual<br />

sleep<strong>in</strong>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>time</str<strong>on</strong>g>s.<br />

Statistical analysis<br />

L<strong>in</strong>ear mixed models which <strong>in</strong>cluded random <strong>in</strong>tercept and random<br />

coefficients for the various <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>in</strong>dicators were applied for each<br />

centre separately <strong>in</strong> order to assess acute <str<strong>on</strong>g>effects</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> BP and<br />

HR dur<strong>in</strong>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>night</str<strong>on</strong>g>-<str<strong>on</strong>g>time</str<strong>on</strong>g> sleep. The number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> repeated measurements<br />

per subject corresp<strong>on</strong>ds to the number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> systolic and diastolic BP<br />

measurements (mmHg), as well as HR measurements (beats per<br />

m<strong>in</strong>ute—b.p.m.) dur<strong>in</strong>g the self-reported sleep<strong>in</strong>g period. The<br />

A-weighted <strong>in</strong>door <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> level equivalents <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1 m<strong>in</strong> (LAeq1m<strong>in</strong>) and<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 15 m<strong>in</strong> (LAeq15m<strong>in</strong>) before BP measurements were used as shortterm<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>exposure</str<strong>on</strong>g> variables. In this type <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> model, where an <strong>in</strong>dividual<br />

serves as his own ‘c<strong>on</strong>trol’, there is no need to adjust for <strong>in</strong>dividual<br />

c<strong>on</strong>found<strong>in</strong>g factors. In order to account for the possible c<strong>on</strong>found<strong>in</strong>g<br />

effect <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> misreport<strong>in</strong>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sleep<strong>in</strong>g and wak<strong>in</strong>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>time</str<strong>on</strong>g>s (potentially associated<br />

with both BP and <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> levels), the above <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>exposure</str<strong>on</strong>g> variables<br />

were also adjusted for the sequence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> BP measurements,<br />

us<strong>in</strong>g 2 l<strong>in</strong>ear terms. The first l<strong>in</strong>ear term denoted the sequence<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the BP measurements (1,2, ...,k) from the start to the middle <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

each pers<strong>on</strong>s sleep period and the sec<strong>on</strong>d denoted the sequence<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the BP measurements (1,2, ...,k) from the middle to the end <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

each pers<strong>on</strong>s sleep period. Other <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>exposure</str<strong>on</strong>g> variables were the<br />

presence or absence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a source-specific <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> event dur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

15 m<strong>in</strong> periods and each source-specific event’s LAmax. If more than<br />

<strong>on</strong>e event were present <strong>in</strong> the 15 m<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>terval, the higher LAmax<br />

was used. S<strong>in</strong>ce a <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> stimulus may not have the same effect <strong>in</strong> the<br />

presence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> other <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g>, <strong>in</strong> all models assess<strong>in</strong>g the source-specific<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g>, we adjusted for the 10th percentile <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> level equivalent<br />

(L90) <strong>in</strong> all the 15 m<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>tervals. After obta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the four centre-specific<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>effects</str<strong>on</strong>g> us<strong>in</strong>g random effect models, we then comb<strong>in</strong>ed the centrespecific<br />

results us<strong>in</strong>g either fixed or random <str<strong>on</strong>g>effects</str<strong>on</strong>g> meta-analysis<br />

depend<strong>in</strong>g <strong>on</strong> the absence or presence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> heterogeneity. All reported<br />

P-values are based <strong>on</strong> two-sided hypotheses and the significance level<br />

used was 5%.<br />

Results<br />

Table 1 shows the descriptive characteristics <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the samples. The<br />

mean number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> repeated BP measurements per <str<strong>on</strong>g>night</str<strong>on</strong>g> was<br />

similar <strong>in</strong> all centres (range 29–32). BP and HR displayed a<br />

normal distributi<strong>on</strong> (data not shown). The number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> aircraft<br />

events dur<strong>in</strong>g the <str<strong>on</strong>g>night</str<strong>on</strong>g>-<str<strong>on</strong>g>time</str<strong>on</strong>g> sleep was higher <strong>in</strong> Athens compared<br />

with the other centres. The presence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> subjects with no or few<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>night</str<strong>on</strong>g> aircraft events was expla<strong>in</strong>ed by the sampl<strong>in</strong>g procedure<br />

through which a number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> subjects were selected from the<br />

ma<strong>in</strong> sub-sample <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> low <str<strong>on</strong>g>exposure</str<strong>on</strong>g> to aircraft <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g>. In Milan and<br />

Stockholm, the number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>in</strong>door events was much larger than aircraft<br />

or traffic events. The median equivalent <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> levels<br />

(LAeq15m<strong>in</strong>, LAeq1m<strong>in</strong>) for all centres were comparable. Also<br />

the source-specific LAmax (aircraft, road or <strong>in</strong>door) was similar<br />

<strong>in</strong> the four samples (Figure 1).<br />

A.S. Haralabidis et al<br />

Figure 1 Box plots <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the various <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>in</strong>dicators measured<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g the study <str<strong>on</strong>g>night</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

Table 2 shows the pooled effect estimates <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>exposure</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

<strong>in</strong>dicators <strong>on</strong> BP and HR. The measured <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1 and 15 m<strong>in</strong> before<br />

each BP measurement was associated with higher systolic and diastolic<br />

BP and with higher HR. For example, a 5 dB <strong>in</strong>crement <strong>in</strong><br />

LAeq15m<strong>in</strong> was associated with a 0.63 mmHg <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> diastolic<br />

BP. The magnitude <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the effect <strong>on</strong> BP was somewhat lower when<br />

the LAeq1m<strong>in</strong> was c<strong>on</strong>sidered but rema<strong>in</strong>s statistically significant.<br />

The effect rema<strong>in</strong>s similar when adjustment was applied for the<br />

sequence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> measurements dur<strong>in</strong>g sleep <str<strong>on</strong>g>time</str<strong>on</strong>g>. An <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> BP<br />

(6.2 mmHg for systolic, 7.4 mmHg for diastolic) and HR (by<br />

5.4 b.p.m.) was observed over 15 m<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>tervals <strong>in</strong> which an aircraft<br />

event occurs but for HR this was not statistically significant.<br />

A similar magnitude <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> BP was observed dur<strong>in</strong>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>time</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

periods with traffic or <strong>in</strong>door source event. In c<strong>on</strong>trast, the<br />

effect <strong>on</strong> HR was smaller dur<strong>in</strong>g periods with <strong>in</strong>door events and<br />

was not observed over periods with traffic events. When the<br />

actual <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> level assessed by LAmax was taken <strong>in</strong>to account<br />

(adjust<strong>in</strong>g for the presence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an event from a specific source<br />

and for L90), a positive associati<strong>on</strong> was found between <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

from all the three sources and BP, which was statistically significant<br />

and similar to the effect <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> measured <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> from all sources. The<br />

corresp<strong>on</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>effects</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> HR were lower than those from all<br />

sources and reached statistical significance <strong>on</strong>ly for <strong>in</strong>door<br />

source <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g>.<br />

The estimated <str<strong>on</strong>g>effects</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>exposure</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> BP were c<strong>on</strong>sistent<br />

<strong>in</strong> each sample. The estimated <str<strong>on</strong>g>effects</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> diastolic BP <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> measured<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> by sample are shown <strong>in</strong> Figure 2. The estimates were practically<br />

identical for the three samples, whilst for L<strong>on</strong>d<strong>on</strong> they were<br />

higher but associated with wider c<strong>on</strong>fidence <strong>in</strong>tervals. In Figure 3 a<br />

c<strong>on</strong>sistent pattern may be seen for the <str<strong>on</strong>g>effects</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> source-specific<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>in</strong> the four samples. The corresp<strong>on</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g results for systolic<br />

BP were similar, with the excepti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> significant heterogeneity<br />

<strong>in</strong> the <str<strong>on</strong>g>effects</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>in</strong>door source <str<strong>on</strong>g>noise</str<strong>on</strong>g> events where the effect<br />

was highest <strong>in</strong> L<strong>on</strong>d<strong>on</strong> and lowest <strong>in</strong> Stockholm, the <strong>on</strong>ly n<strong>on</strong>statistically<br />

significant effect. The <str<strong>on</strong>g>effects</str<strong>on</strong>g> for HR were less c<strong>on</strong>sistent<br />

between centres. However, the <strong>on</strong>ly model which displayed<br />

statistically significant heterogeneity was the <strong>on</strong>e assess<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

presence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> aircraft events.<br />

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