Heart-Check Clinic

Who: Heart Check Clinic
Where: radio 2ue Sydney
When: 2/2/07

Describe the ad:

A train horn is heard to blast out and then a voice says "imagine this train is a heart attack". The ad concludes with "call the Heart Check Clinic before you have a heart attack".

Complaint:
This ad should be withdrawn because it causes the very disease it seeks to cure. Noise exposure is a risk factor in heart disease. The horn sound is used for shock advertising, to gain the attention of the audience.

Noise and heart disease are linked by two mechanisms:

1 - the startle response induced by noise produces physiological effects. The cumulative effect of many startle responses may produce permanent disease.

2 - the annoyance generated by the shock of the noise also produces physiological effects which, cumulatively, may cause disease.

This ad should be withdrawn because the horn shocks contribute to ischaemic heart disease. There are several other derivatives of this ad which use train and truck horns. They likewise should be withdrawn on the same grounds.

Personally, after a hard days work, I come home and listen to the radio. The shock of a train/truck horn coming through the radio is quite startling. I can't imagine the cumulative effects of these shocks are good for my health.

Research is provided below from the NSW Health Department, World Health Organisation, etc.

It is a startling display of stupidity by the Heart Check Clinic and advertisers to cause the very disease they seek to cure. Either that, or they are drumming up business for each other.

It is time for responsible use of noise in advertising.

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WHY CHRONIC NOISE GETS TAKEN TO HEART
Adam Cresswell, Health editor, the Australian
November 25, 2005

"LIVING with chronic noise doesn't just stress you out, it can also do you in - by raising your risk of having a heart attack.

New research has found general environmental noise, such as the roar of city traffic, increases the risk of heart attack by almost 50 per cent for men and 200 per cent for women ...

"The increase appears more closely associated with actual sound levels rather than with subjective annoyance," Dr Willich said ...

One explanation was that noise might increase psychological stress and anger, causing physical changes such as increased levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline, hormones linked to increased blood pressure."

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THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE - OTHER THAN HEARING LOSS
Report for the enHealth Council by the New South Wales Health Department, 2004
http://enhealth.nphp.gov.au/council/pubs/pdf/noise.pdf

"The World Health Organization, European Community members and numerous other countries have determined there is 'sufficient evidence' linking noise with ... ischaemic heart disease and hypertension. Currently, there appears sufficient information to merit public health action in Australia to reduce these health effects."

"Ischaemic heart disease is the most common cause of sudden death in Australia."

"The relationship between annoyance to noise and increased relative risks of ischaemic heart disease merit further attention given the increasing levels of community concern and annoyance and the significant prevalence of cardiovascular conditions within the Australian adult population."

"Noise, acting as a stressor, is thought to have an impact on the cardiovascular system through certain stress response mechanisms such as the release of cortisol, adrenalin and noradrenalin which have cascade effects, including raising blood pressure and increasing vasoconstriction. There are also a few studies of cardiovascular effects that measure both noise reaction and its psychological modifiers (for example, subjective noise sensitivity, negative attitudes to the noise source, predicability and control). A cross sectional study found an association between noise, annoyance and cardiovascular disease ...

Given the seriousness and the costs to society of cardiovascular disease through early deaths, disability, days lost to work, health care costs and deterioration in quality of life, small changes in risk, such as provided by environmental noise, might have significant population health effects and societal costs."

"Noise and neuro-physiological stress - main effect

The normal stress response consists of a set of connected changes and feedback responses between the nervous and endocrine or hormonal system developed for evolutionary advantage to respond to threats. The response enables the body to produce energy quickly and put muscles to work for strong quick movement. The faster, stronger force of the heartbeat increases the required blood flow but could cause damage if sustained over a longer term."

"It is generally agreed that there is sufficient evidence that community noise adversely affects:
- annoyance
- sleep disturbance
- children's school performance
- cardiovascular health"

"The potential for adverse effects on cardiovascular health through increased relative risks of those with existing hypertension and ischaemic heart disease is concerning. If the impact of masking, speech interference and annoyance in those experiencing and those soon to experience hearing impairments are factored in, the public health dimensions of the problem increase further."

"This report recommends further research is needed to more fully assess the impact of environmental noise on community health. However, given the environmental and public health emphasis on prevention of adverse health outcomes, it may be prudent for relevant health agencies to immediately consider development of improved health-based noise guidelines, standards and policies."

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WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION: Guidelines for Community Noise, 1999
http://www.who.int/docstore/peh/noise/guidelines2.html

3.4 Cardiovascular and physiological effects

"... Acute noise exposures activate the autonomic and hormonal systems, leading to temporary changes such as increased blood pressure, increased heart rate and vasoconstriction. After prolonged exposure, susceptible individuals in the general population may develop permanent effects, such as hypertension and ischaemic heart disease associated with exposures to high sound pressure levels ... The magnitude and duration of the effects are determined in part by individual characteristics, lifestyle behaviours and environmental conditions. Sounds also evoke reflex responses, particularly when they are unfamiliar and have a sudden onset.

... If the exposure is of sufficient intensity and unpredictability, cardiovascular and hormonal responses may appear, including increases in heart rate and peripheral vascular resistance; changes in blood pressure, blood viscosity and blood lipids; and shifts in electrolyte balance (Mg/Ca) and hormonal levels (epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol). The first four effects are of interest because of noise-related coronary heart disease (Ising & Günther 1997).

... By far the greatest number of occupational and community noise studies have focused on the possibility that noise may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

... The overall conclusion is that cardiovascular effects are associated with long-term exposure

Effects on Physical Health

Exposure to noise may result in a variety of biological responses. Most of the information has been derived from short-term studies on animals and human subjects, but it has been postulated that, if provoked continuously, such responses would ultimately lead to the development of clinically recognisable physical or mental disease in human beings. "

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Environment Protection Authority Victoria
http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/students/noise/default.asp#health

"How does noise pollution affect our health?
* Heart disease - noise causes stress and the body reacts with increased adrenaline, changes in heart rate and a rise in blood pressure.
* Mental and social well-being - when noise becomes sufficiently loud or unpredictable, our first annoyance can graduate to more extreme behaviour."

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The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV)
http://www.racv.com.au/

"Vehicles affect the environment by creating noise:
* Noise can cause or bring about disturbance to work, relaxation and sleep; mental stress; and in severe cases physical problems such as chronic exhaustion, high blood pressure and heart disease."

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