Adults exposed to high levels of residential transportation noise from road traffic, trains and aviation face a higher risk of serious heart-related conditions, even if they sleep well, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2026 in Chicago, November 6 to 9. The study, led by Joseph Nguyen, an internal medicine resident physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, found the link was similar for people with healthy sleep patterns and those with unhealthy sleep patterns, defined as a sleep disorder diagnosis or sleeping more or less than 7 to 9 hours per night. People exposed to high noise levels also showed a higher likelihood of developing cardiovascular risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes. The findings suggest chronic exposure to loud transportation noise may be an environmental risk factor for cardiovascular disease that regular, healthy sleep may not counteract. The results are from a research abstract and are considered preliminary until published as a full peer-reviewed manuscript.