Study: Airport Noise Could Take Toll On Neighbors' Health

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Those who live near busy airports must endure the noise and rumbles that come with planes passing overhead. But those same sounds might also harm their health.

As CBS 2's Vanessa Murdock reported, recent research found that high levels of aircraft noise are associated with increased risks of stroke and heart disease.

Researchers at Imperial College and King's College in London focused on people who live near some of the world's busiest airports, with a focus on London's Heathrow.

According to the study, daytime aircraft noise between 51 and 63 decibles increased people's risks of stroke by 24 percent and heart disease by 21 percent. For those 65 and older, more than 2 percent of hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease could be linked to aircraft noise, according to the research.

"Loud noises may be of concern because it may not give them good rest," said Dr. Martin Goldman, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital. "People should be aware. Are they affected? If they have hypertension and they live in an (airport) area, they should tell their doctors."

When asked if other persistently loud noises that New Yorkers are exposed to every day have similar health effects, Goldman said: "We don't know if the constant noise level is different than a startling effect that you would get from a sudden shrieking in of an airplane overhead."

Dawson David, of Far Rockaway, Queens -- where planes fly overhead every minute or two -- said the noise does not affect his daily routine, but knowing it could impact his long-term health makes him nervous.

"It shakes the building," he said. "It's kind of an old house. So you feel the vibrations when the planes take off."

Others exposed to the daily drone say it's no big deal.

"There are so many things that factor into life that, one way or the other, you have to live," said Ann Marie Franklin, or Far Rockaway.

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