Researchers have established a link between long-term exposure to the roar of road traffic and death rate. The noise of traffic also has an association with risk of stroke, said the researchers.

According to results of the study, death risk was 4% higher in people living in areas where noise levels were louder than 60 decibels (db) than those living in areas where noise levels were less than 55db. Long-term exposure to traffic noise could reduce your life-expectancy.

Data for one of the largest studies ever undertaken involved 8.6 million people living in London between 2003 and 2010. Death was inflicted over 442,560 adults from the study population and 291,139 of them were elderly.

Lead scientist Dr. Jaana Halonen, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said sleep problems and increased blood pressure were previously found to have an association with road traffic noise. But the study is the first in the UK to show that it also has to do a lot with deaths and strokes. Traffic noise could be a cause of higher blood pressure, he added.

“This is the largest study of its kind to date, looking at everyone living inside the M25 over a seven-year period. Our findings contribute to the body of evidence suggesting reductions in traffic noise could be beneficial to our health”, he said.

According to the World Health Organization, health problems can be suffered by those who get exposed to noise levels more than 55db. More than 1.6 million people in London are exposed to daytime road traffic noise louder than this threshold.