RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of industrial noise on blood pressure and heart rate. METHODS: Resting blood pressure, hearing loss, and general characteristics of the 102 subjects who were engaged in a factory in Pusan were measured from March to June for two years, in 1998 and 1999. With noise dosimeter, noise exposure level was measured from 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. Ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate were also measured every 30 minutes from 8 A.M. to 10 P. M. RESULTS: Controlling for age, smoking, and Quetelet's index, in subjects of under 40 years old exposed to higher than 85dBA, noise exposure and systolic blood pressure had a statistically significant correlation, and the same result was obtained in all subjects. The daily variability of ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate were observed in older than 40 years old group, but only heart rate in under 40 years old. CONCLUSIONS: The blood pressure and heart rate would be elevated when the workers exposed to noise. And in under 40 years old, the systolic blood pressure was elevated to the workers exposed to higher than 85dBA.