[Occupational exposure to noise, hearing loss and arterial hypertension]

Clinical examinations and audiograms were conducted in a group of 249 men working in a foundry of the Paris area. Before and after adjustment for age, systolic blood pressure levels were positively associated with the duration of the occupational exposure to a noise greater than 85 dBA: 127.8 mmHg in the non-exposed group, 128.6 mmHg when the exposure lasted less than 10 years, 130.1 mmHg from 10 to 19 years, and 140.1 mmHg over 20 years (p less than 0.001). The odds-ratio of arterial hypertension associated with an occupational exposure over 20 years was 1.6 (p less than 0.05). There was no relationship between noise-induced hearing loss and blood pressure levels. These results suggest that there may be a population at increased risk of high blood pressure. However, the causal relationship between noise exposure and high blood pressure should be confirmed.