Why living near to a busy road could make a severe stroke 20% more likely

PEOPLE plagued by noise pollution are 20 per cent more likely to have a severe stroke than those who live amid peace and quiet, researchers have found.

But a buffer zone of greenery around the house may ‘promote stress reduction’, they say. Researchers looked at data from 2,761 people who suffered ischaemic stroke – which is caused by a blocked artery.

They assessed the levels of traffic noise individuals were exposed to at all hours of the day, as well as the amount of green space surrounding their house.

Living in areas with higher than average traffic noise was found to raise the chance of having a severe stroke by 20 per cent, Science and Environment Correspondent according to a well-established scale called the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale. This is a 15-item inventory to evaluate the effect of stroke on the level of consciousness, language, visual-field loss, motor strength, effects on speech and balance.

But having a buffer of just under 1,000ft of green space between the home and the roads caused the strokes to be less severe.

Researchers studied stroke sufferers in Barcelona between 2005 and 2014, with an average age of 75. The authors, from the Barcelona Hospital del Mar, said: ‘In an urban setting, surrounding green space and traffic noise are associated with initial stroke severity, suggesting an important influence of the built environment on the global burden of ischaemic stroke.’

Concerns over noise pollution in the UK have risen in recent years.

Research by the World Health Organisation has calculated that each year in Europe, one million healthy life-years are lost due to noise. The WHO suggests the release of the stress hormone cortisol damages blood vessels over time, leading to heart disease.

They recommend a guideline level of 30 dB for undisturbed sleep, and daytime outdoor sound levels of 50dB.