Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that traffic noise exposure is associated with cardiovascular diseases such as arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction and stroke. Persistent chronic noise exposure increases the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases such as arterial hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes and stroke. Large epidemiological studies (reviewed in Munzel et al. Eur. Heart J. 2017, 38 (8):550–556) point towards a link between the incidence of ischemic heart diseases and exposure to noise, supporting its role as an independent cardiovascular risk factor. Recently, the underlying molecular mechanisms leading to noise-dependent adverse effects on the vasculature were characterized in an animal model of aircraft noise exposure identifying oxidative stress as a central player in mediating vascular dysfunction (Munzel, Daiber et al. Eur. Heart J. 2017, 38(37):2838–2849). With the present overview the mechanistic parallels in the pathophysiological processes induced by noise and classical cardiovascular risk factors/diseases will be discussed.