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ABSTRACT: Background
Epidemiological studies have reported associations between air pollution exposure and increases in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Exposure to air pollutants can influence cardiac autonomic tone and reduce heart rate variability, and may increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias, particularly in susceptible patient groups.Objectives
We investigated the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias during and after controlled exposure to air pollutants in healthy volunteers and patients with coronary heart disease.Methods
We analyzed data from 13 double-blind randomized crossover studies including 282 participants (140 healthy volunteers and 142 patients with stable coronary heart disease) from whom continuous electrocardiograms were available. The incidence of cardiac arrhythmias was recorded for each exposure and study population.Results
There were no increases in any cardiac arrhythmia during or after exposure to dilute diesel exhaust, wood smoke, ozone, concentrated ambient particles, engineered carbon nanoparticles, or high ambient levels of air pollution in either healthy volunteers or patients with coronary heart disease.Conclusions
Acute controlled exposure to air pollutants did not increase the short-term risk of arrhythmia in participants. Research employing these techniques remains crucial in identifying the important pathophysiological pathways involved in the adverse effects of air pollution, and is vital to inform environmental and public health policy decisions.
SUBMITTER: Langrish JP
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4080532 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Langrish Jeremy P JP Watts Simon J SJ Hunter Amanda J AJ Shah Anoop S V AS Bosson Jenny A JA Unosson Jon J Barath Stefan S Lundbäck Magnus M Cassee Flemming R FR Donaldson Ken K Sandström Thomas T Blomberg Anders A Newby David E DE Mills Nicholas L NL
Environmental health perspectives 20140325 7
<h4>Background</h4>Epidemiological studies have reported associations between air pollution exposure and increases in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Exposure to air pollutants can influence cardiac autonomic tone and reduce heart rate variability, and may increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias, particularly in susceptible patient groups.<h4>Objectives</h4>We investigated the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias during and after controlled exposure to air pollutants in healthy volunteers a ...[more]