A recent study has found that prolonged exposure to traffic noise and air pollution can lead to heart attack and sudden death. According to researchers, people who have been exposed to 42 decibels of traffic noise and 84 decibels of air pollution for more than 20 years have higher risk of being affected with heart attack.

The findings of the study have been published in the journal PLoS One. It is not for the very first time when a study has linked air pollution with heart attack. Previous studies have also showed a link between the two.

Researcher Dr. Mette Sorenson from Danish Cancer Society led the study. Dr. Sorenson said, "We found that exposure to road traffic noise was significantly associated with risk for MI both before and after adjustment by air pollution, suggesting an independent effect of road traffic noise".

The exact reason behind the link has not yet been unveiled. However, the researchers are of the view that disturbance in sleeping could be one of the reasons behind people succumbing to heart attack after being exposed to traffic noise and air pollution. Noise pollution can actually be dangerous as people normally don't realize that they are being affected by it.