Long-term traffic noise tied to higher Parkinson’s risk in Danish study

A large Danish study has found a link between prolonged exposure to heavy traffic noise at home and an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease, according to findings published in JAMA Neurology. Researchers tracked roughly 3 million Danes aged 40 and older for an average of two decades, during which 20,587 participants were diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The study measured noise levels on the street-facing side of participants’ homes and found that the risk of developing the disease rose as those levels increased. A similar pattern appeared at the rear of the homes, though researchers observed that noise levels there were typically at least 10 decibels lower than at the front, and that lower rear-side exposure was associated with reduced risk. The authors said the findings add Parkinson’s disease to the established health effects of traffic noise, which already include heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep disorders and impaired cognitive development in children. They noted that the quieter sides of homes may offer partial protection against the effect. No immediate response from Danish health authorities was reported. The researchers called for further work to clarify the mechanisms behind the association.