Workplace noise leads to heart attacks

Exposure to high noise levels at work can increase the risk of myocardial infarction in both men and women.

In a study of over 4,000 patients with acute myocardial infarction, researchers found that men exposed to high environmental sound levels had a 50% greater heart attack risk than those in the control group who had been exposed to less than 60 decibels. For women, exposure to high sound levels more than tripled the risk.

The researchers also found that the level of annoyance workers felt at high noise levels didn’t contribute to the high risk of heart attacks. So the culprit was the noise itself, not the annoyance it caused.

The researchers said OSHA standards for noise exposure are too high and should be set lower.