Association Between High Blood Pressure and Occupational Hearing Loss: A Study in an Industrial Setting
Abstract
Background: Workplace noise is one of the most significant occupational hazards and can adversely affect workers’ health. This study investigated the prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and its association with blood pressure (BP) among workers in an Iranian oilfield.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 670 male workers, excluding those with cardiovascular conditions or specific ear-related symptoms. Noise exposure and hearing thresholds were assessed. BP was recorded using a digital sphygmomanometer, with hypertension defined as systolic BP (SBP) ≥140 mmHg or diastolic BP (DBP) ≥90 mmHg.
Results: A 12.7% prevalence of NIHL was observed, including mild (6.2%) and moderate (2.1%) cases. Workers with NIHL had significantly higher mean SBP (118.16 vs. 115.81 mmHg, p = 0.01) and DBP (77.45 vs. 75.53 mmHg, p = 0.001) compared to those without NIHL. The prevalence of hypertension was 2.7%.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that chronic noise exposure may contribute to both cardiovascular and auditory damage, likely due to noise-triggered stress responses.
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17. Thieren S, van Dommelen P, Benard M. Combining psychoeducation, sound exposure and counseling in hyperacusis therapy. J Hear Sci. 2024;14(3).
18. Askari A, Golmohammadi R, Alinia A, Honairi Haghighi A. Study the impact of acoustic barrier on noise reduction of generator building, case study: North Azadegan oil field. J Occup Hyg Eng. 2021;8(3):50–8.
19. Unger T, Borghi C, Charchar F, Khan NA, Poulter NR, Prabhakaran D, et al. 2020 International Society of Hypertension global hypertension practice guidelines. Hypertension. 2020;75(6):1334–57.
20. American National Standards Institute. Specifications for audiometers. New York: ANSI; 1989.
2. Askari A, Poursadeqiyan M, Sahl Abadi AS, Mahdinasab L, Farhadi AR. Semi-quantitative risk assessment for workers exposed to occupational harmful agents in an oilfield in Iran. Work. 2023;76(1):147–57.
3. Kakavandi MG, Omidi A, Hashemian AH, Jabari M, Hamidi A, Bavandpur E, et al. An assessment of noise exposure and hearing health status among auto body workers in Kermanshah, Iran. J Educ Health Promot. 2021;10:290.
4. Askari A, Poursadeghiyan M, Alinia A, Sephvand A, Jafarzadeh E, Nasl-Saraji G, et al. Workplace risk factors assessment in North-Azadegan oil field based on harmful agents risk priority index (HARPI). Iran J Public Health. 2023;52(10):2157–68.
5. Biglari H, Saeidi M, Poursadeghiyan M, Sharafi H, Narooie MR, Alipour V, et al. A study on noise pollution in the city of Tehran, Iran. Int J Pharm Technol. 2016;8(3):17942–8.
6. Yazdanirad S, Khoshakhlagh AH, Al Sulaie S, Drake CL, Wickwire EM. The effects of occupational noise on sleep: a systematic review. Sleep Med Rev. 2023;72:101846.
7. Osei F, Effah E. Health effects caused by noise—the case of Africa: evidence in literature from the past 25 years. Asian J Adv Res Rep. 2022:19–27.
8. Masterson EA, Tak S, Themann CL, Wall DK, Groenewold MR, Deddens JA, et al. Prevalence of hearing loss in the United States by industry. Am J Ind Med. 2013;56(6):670–81.
9. Askari A, Sepahvand A, Davoodi M, Mokhtari F, Salehi-Sahlabadi A. Noise control measures prioritization and job groups identification exposed to hearing impairments to implement a hearing conservation program in the Azar oil field. Irtiqa Imini Pishgiri Masdumiyat. 2022;10(2):187–76.
10. Hahad O, Prochaska JH, Daiber A, Muenzel T. Environmental noise‐induced effects on stress hormones, oxidative stress, and vascular dysfunction: key factors in the relationship between cerebrocardiovascular and psychological disorders. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2019;2019:4623109.
11. Askari A, Abadi ASS, Alinia A, Pourjaafar M, Haghighi AH, Pirposhteh EA. Prioritizing and providing sound pollution control strategies at the CPF of North Azadegan oilfield project. Sound Vib. 2021;55(4).
12. Themann CL, Masterson EA. Occupational noise exposure: a review of its effects, epidemiology, and impact with recommendations for reducing its burden. J Acoust Soc Am. 2019;146(5):3879–905.
13. Oosterveld W, Polman A, Schoonheyt J. Vestibular implications of noise-induced hearing loss. Br J Audiol. 1982;16(4):227–32.
14. Song Y, Pang W, Yan X, Luo Y, Rao Y, Qiu K, et al. Investigating the role of working patterns in tinnitus: results from a large UK population. Ear Hear. 2025;doi:10.1097.
15. Singh RV, Bhagat S, Sahni D, Aggarwal S, Kaur T. Noise-induced hearing loss among industrial workers in North India: a tale of various influencing factors. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2024:1–10.
16. Mehrotra A, Shukla SP, Shukla A, Manar MK, Singh S, Mehrotra M. A comprehensive review of auditory and non-auditory effects of noise on human health. Noise Health. 2024;26(121):59–69.
17. Thieren S, van Dommelen P, Benard M. Combining psychoeducation, sound exposure and counseling in hyperacusis therapy. J Hear Sci. 2024;14(3).
18. Askari A, Golmohammadi R, Alinia A, Honairi Haghighi A. Study the impact of acoustic barrier on noise reduction of generator building, case study: North Azadegan oil field. J Occup Hyg Eng. 2021;8(3):50–8.
19. Unger T, Borghi C, Charchar F, Khan NA, Poulter NR, Prabhakaran D, et al. 2020 International Society of Hypertension global hypertension practice guidelines. Hypertension. 2020;75(6):1334–57.
20. American National Standards Institute. Specifications for audiometers. New York: ANSI; 1989.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 17 No 2 (2025) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| Published | 2025-12-09 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Noise Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Blood Pressure Oilfield. | ||
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Rezaei-Hachesu V, Naderyan Feli S, Askari A. Association Between High Blood Pressure and Occupational Hearing Loss: A Study in an Industrial Setting. Int J Occup Hyg. 2025;17(2):67-72.
