Exposure to air pollution linked to reduced heart rate variability

July 10, 2010 07:52 pm | Updated November 28, 2021 09:07 pm IST - Washington

The results add to recent evidence that short-term, personal exposure to traffic-related pollution is linked to decreased HRV and increased cardiac risk. File Photo: K. Murali Kumar

The results add to recent evidence that short-term, personal exposure to traffic-related pollution is linked to decreased HRV and increased cardiac risk. File Photo: K. Murali Kumar

A new study has revealed that in patients with pre-existing heart or lung disease, exposure to high levels of traffic-related air pollutants is linked to reduced heart rate variability (HRV) - a risk factor for sudden cardiac death.

The study included 30 Atlanta-area residents with lung disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or heart disease (previous myocardial infarction). Ambient levels of air pollutants in the areas where the patients lived were unrelated to HRV. However, when the patients wore 24-hour monitoring devices, their personal exposure (levels of traffic-related air pollutants-specifically, elemental carbon and nitrogen dioxide) were significantly related to reduced HRV.

In contrast, the Atlanta patients were spread out over a larger area, with differing population densities, distances from major roads, etc. The results add to recent evidence that short-term, personal exposure to traffic-related pollution is linked to decreased HRV and increased cardiac risk.

The findings of the survey were published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.