Key takeaways:
- The ESC welcomes EEA's new report on harmful noise.
- Environmental noise is a medical emergency demanding immediate attention.
- Evidence shows that adverse cardiovascular effects occur at noise levels as low as 45 dB Lden - well below current regulatory thresholds.
Brussels, Belgium, 24 June 2025 — The newly released 2025 report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) delivers a powerful wake-up call: chronic exposure to transport noise is responsible for 66,000 premature deaths, 50,000 new cardiovascular cases, and 22,000 newly attributed cases of type 2 diabetes each year across Europe. For cardiologists and public health experts, the message is clear: noise is no longer a mere nuisance — it is a major modifiable cardiovascular and metabolic risk factor.
"As a cardiologist, I welcome this report as a long-overdue wake-up call. The data clearly show that chronic exposure to transport noise is a major cardiovascular and metabolic health threat, on par with smoking, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension," said Prof. Thomas Münzel, Chairman of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Environmental Sustainability Task Force, during the EEA panel discussion.
The report highlights the biological mechanisms by which noise triggers disease: increased sympathetic activity, sleep fragmentation, circadian disruption, oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. These mechanisms fuel hypertension, atherosclerosis, heart attacks, stroke, and heart failure.
Evidence shows that adverse cardiovascular effects occur at noise levels as low as 45 dB Lden — well below current regulatory thresholds. "The science is clear: night-time noise disrupts autonomic recovery and deep sleep, increasing the risk of acute cardiovascular events. Regulation must catch up," Prof. Münzel stated. Particularly at risk are vulnerable populations: children, the elderly, pregnant women, shift workers, individuals with mental illness, and most notably, patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease. For these groups, noise acts as a potent disease amplifier, worsening prognosis and increasing mortality.
The EEA 2025 report strongly endorses alignment with WHO guideline values of 40 dB Lnight and 45 dB Lden, and encourages urgent regulatory reform. Prof. Münzel emphasised: "If we are serious about preventing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, noise reduction must become a central pillar of cardiovascular prevention strategies."
The ESC Environmental Sustainability Task Force , under Thomas Münzel's leadership, is already working to integrate noise and air pollution into cardiovascular prevention guidelines. "Environmental noise is no longer just an urban planning issue. It is a medical emergency demanding immediate attention from clinicians, educators, and policymakers alike."
