PEOPLE living near airports are slightly more susceptible to heart attacks and other heart issues, a new study has shown.

Research led by Imperial College London analysed hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases among residents whose homes are under Heathrow Airport’s flight paths.

The analysis found "evidence of a small increase in risk" of being admitted to hospital for that reason among people who had experienced higher noise during the previous night, according to a paper published in online journal Environment International.

Men aged above 65 appeared to be particularly affected.

The paper stated that aircraft noise has been found to disrupt sleep and raise blood pressure and stress hormone levels, which are factors linked to heart problems.

The researchers concluded: "These findings provide potential evidence that aircraft noise in the late evening and night-time may be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular hospitalisations and deaths in the population living within the Heathrow Airport noise contour.

"This is consistent with a mechanism of action via disturbed sleep and has implications for developing respite measures for the communities situated near busy airports."

Evidence of an association between aircraft noise and deaths due to cardiovascular diseases was limited, although this could be attributed to a small sample size.

Aircraft noise has been a long-debated issue during Heathrow’s long-running bid to gain permission to build a third runway.

Modern passenger planes are quieter than previous models but there are concerns that an increase in flights will cause more disturbance.

Chairman of the No 3rd Runway Coalition, Paul McGuinness, said: "Plenty of research in the past has reached similar conclusions, and the deleterious health impacts inflicted by Heathrow is always greater than at comparable airports because it lies bang slap in the middle of our country’s most densely populated residential region, with each plane overflying many more people.

"Mitigations that one would think necessary are not in place. The angle of climb of Heathrow departures is much lower than at comparable airports, so unnecessarily increasing the number of those adversely affected.

"And at Heathrow, provided a flight has been formally scheduled to an earlier slot, it can still fly well into the night, causing sleep deprivation at the most critical hours of the day."

Heathrow, which supported Imperial College London in conducting the study, says reducing the impact of noise from flights is a vital part of its sustainability strategy.

Airport bosses also say they have reduced its noise footprint – the area where residents are exposed to aircraft noise – by 28% since 2006.

The research was based on figures recorded between 2014 and 2018.