Effects of Personal Exposure to Particulate Matter and Ozone on Arterial Stiffness and Heart Rate Variability in Healthy Adults

• Published in: American journal of epidemiology 2010-06, Vol.171 (12), p.1299-1309
• Main Authors: Wu, Chang-fu, Kuo, I-Chun, Su, Ta-Chen, Li, Ya-Ru, Lin, Lian-Yu, Chan, Chang-Chuan, Hsu, Shih-Chieh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Air Pollutants - adverse effects; Air pollution; Arteries - drug effects; Arteries - physiology; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular disease; cardiovascular diseases; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Electrocardiography - drug effects; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental Exposure - adverse effects; Epidemiology; Female; General aspects; Health risk assessment; Heart Rate - drug effects; Human exposure; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Models, Statistical; Ozone; Ozone - adverse effects; particle size; Particulate Matter - adverse effects; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Taiwan; vascular diseases
• ISSN: 0002-9262; 1476-6256
• DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwq060

The effects on heart rate variability (HRV) and arterial stiffness from exposure to ambient particulate matter and ozone have not been studied simultaneously. The aim of this study was to analyze these effects with refined exposure estimates from personal measurements of ozone and size-resolved particulate matter mass concentrations. The authors recruited 17 mail carriers in a panel study in Taipei County, Taiwan, during February–March, 2007, and each subject was followed for 5–6 days. Personal ozone and size-fractionated particulate matter exposures were monitored during working hours while carriers delivered mail outdoors. Cardiovascular effects were evaluated with heart rate variability (HRV) indices and an arterial stiffness index, the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI). The authors used linear mixed models to examine the association between personal exposure data and the HRV index and CAVI. They found that an interquartile range increase in personal exposure to ozone and particulate matter of between 1.0 and 2.5 μm was associated with a 4.8% and 2.5% increase in CAVI, respectively, in the single-pollutant models. In contrast, the personal exposure data showed no significant effects on HRV. In 2-pollutant models, personal ozone exposure remained significantly associated with the CAVI measurements. The study results indicate that vascular function may be more sensitive to air pollutants than the autonomic balance.