[Exposure to noise in the general population and hypertension: results from a pilot case-control study in Rome].

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of noise pollution on blood pressure values of a sample population in the metropolitan area of Rome. A case-control study was carried out. Cases were patients with hypertension recruited at the Hypertension Center of the Teaching Hospital "Agostino Gemelli" in Rome, whereas controls were healthy people recruited at the same center. Noise exposure was assessed using place of residence of participants, and this related to monitoring air pollution data of Rome. 241 individuals entered the study, 161 cases (80 males and 81 females) and 80 controls (42 males and 38 females), aged on average 55,65 (+/- 12.66) and 57.08 (+/- 14.64) year, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that being a case is directly associated to increasing age (the risk increases of 5% for each increase of 1 year), salt use (OR = 2.76; 95% CI: 1.18 - 8.48), exposure to a noise level over 65 dBA (OR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.01 - 4.47), and inversely to physical activity (OR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.23 - 1.00). These results, could be considered in city and urban green planning, having the last element a mitigating effect on population health.