AbstractIntroduction: noise induced hearing loss is the harmful effect of noise most commonly studied, however, noise also produces digestive and sleep disorders, changes in cortisol levels, cardiovascular effects and hypertension, among others.Objective: to determine whether occupational exposure to noise induces hypertension.Methods: recommendations of the PRISMA method for systematic reviews were followed. A search of studies was made in PUBMED using the terms occupational and noise and hypertension, moreover next filters were applied: 1) only publications between 2005-2015; 2) studies published in English; 3) review of titles and abstracts; 4) complete review of texts for a total of 32 studies.Results: studies concluded that those carriers of angiotensin-converting enzyme polymorphisms exposed to noise had more genetic susceptibility to hypertension. The studies reported a positive association between noise and hypertension. There is controversy about the relationship between hypertension, co-exposure to noise and other factors such as heat, shift work, the presence of solvents, lead or exercise stress in the workplace. Conclusions: it is assumed that only the noise levels ≥ 85 dBA have negative effects on health, but it has been found that non auditory noise effects also occur below this parameter.Recommendations: the use of noise-induced hearing loss is suggested as a method of screening for detecting pre hypertensive workers, in order to prevent the generation of hypertension.
