Table 5.
Summary of findings for noise exposure and cardiac arrhythmia
| Outcomes | Relative or absolute effects(95% CI) | No. of participants(studies) | Certainty of the evidence(GRADE) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiac arrhythmia – cohort assessed with: exposure to road traffic noise | [155]: HR for atrial fibrillation 23-y mean, Lden <48 dBA: ref 23-y mean, Lden 48–58 dBA: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.85, 1.09 23-y mean, Lden >58 dBA: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.86, 1.15 23-y mean, Lden per 10 dBA: 1.0, 95% CI: 0.93, 1.06 23-y mean, Lden >53 per 10 dBA: 1.0, 95% CI: 0.88, 1.23 23-y mean, Lden >58 per 10 dBA: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.81, 1.26[156]: IRR for atrial fibrillation Lden max – 10-year average, per 10 dBA: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.99, 1.01 | 3,628,496(2 observational studies) | ⊕○○○VERY LOW *,† | ||
| Cardiac arrhythmia – cohort assessed with: exposure to railway noise | [156]: IRR for atrial fibrillation Lden max – 10-year average, per 10 dBA: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.02 | 3,604,968(1 observational study) | ⊕○○○VERY LOW *,† | ||
| Cardiac arrhythmia – cohort assessed with: exposure to aircraft noise | [156]: IRR for atrial fibrillation Aircraft, <45 dBA: reference Aircraft, 45–49 dBA: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.98, 1.04 Aircraft, 50–54 dBA: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.99, 1.04 Aircraft, 55–59 dBA: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.00, 1.12 Aircraft, ≥60 dBA: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.93, 1.15 | 3,604,968(1 observational study) | ⊕○○○VERY LOW *,† | ||
CI: confidence interval; GRADE, Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation; IRR: incidence rate ratio. GRADE Working Group grades of evidence. High certainty: We are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect. Moderate certainty: We are moderately confident in the effect estimate: The true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of the effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different. Low certainty: Our confidence in the effect estimate is limited: The true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect. Very low certainty: We have very little confidence in the effect estimate: The true effect is likely to be substantially different from the estimate of the effect. Explanations: *Moderate concern with confounding and missing data. †Concerns with imprecision because the 95% CI cannot exclude the potential for meaningful benefit or harm.