Air pollution and heart rate variability: Effect modification by chronic lead exposure

Park, SK; O'Neill, MS; Vokonas, PS; Sparrow, D; Wright, RO; Coull, B; Nie, H; Hu, H; Schwartz, J

HERO ID

93027

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year

2008

Language

English

PMID

18091001

HERO ID 93027
In Press No
Year 2008
Title Air pollution and heart rate variability: Effect modification by chronic lead exposure
Authors Park, SK; O'Neill, MS; Vokonas, PS; Sparrow, D; Wright, RO; Coull, B; Nie, H; Hu, H; Schwartz, J
Journal Epidemiology
Volume 19
Issue 1
Page Numbers 111-120
Abstract BACKGROUND: Outdoor air pollution and lead exposure can disturb cardiac autonomic function, but the effects of both these exposures together have not been studied. METHODS: We examined whether higher cumulative lead exposures, as measured by bone lead, modified cross-sectional associations between air pollution and heart rate variability among 384 elderly men from the Normative Aging Study. We used linear regression, controlling for clinical, demographic, and environmental covariates. RESULTS: We found graded, significant reductions in both high-frequency and low-frequency powers of heart rate variability in relation to ozone and sulfate across the quartiles of tibia lead. Interquartile range increases in ozone and sulfate were associated respectively, with 38% decrease (95% confidence interval = -54.6% to -14.9%) and 22% decrease (-40.4% to 1.6%) in high frequency, and 38% decrease (-51.9% to -20.4%) and 12% decrease (-28.6% to 9.3%) in low frequency, in the highest quartile of tibia lead after controlling for potential confounders. We observed similar but weaker effect modification by tibia lead adjusted for education and cumulative traffic (residuals of the regression of tibia lead on education and cumulative traffic). Patella lead modified only the ozone effect on heart rate variability. CONCLUSIONS: People with long-term exposure to higher levels of lead may be more sensitive to cardiac autonomic dysfunction on high air pollution days. Efforts to understand how environmental exposures affect the health of an aging population should consider both current levels of pollution and history of lead exposure as susceptibility factors.
Doi 10.1097/EDE.0b013e31815c408a
Pmid 18091001
Wosid WOS:000251889400018
Is Certified Translation No
Dupe Override No
Comments ECRIB.ENSO as an integrating concept in earth science."Science (Washington, DC, U.S.) 314: 1740-1745."
Is Public Yes
Language Text English
Keyword ACUTE MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION;OXIDATIVE STRESS;BONE-LEAD;CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE;DAILY MORTALITY;BLOOD-PRESSURE;HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS;PARTICULATE MATTER;LIPID-PEROXIDATION;AUTONOMIC FUNCTION;PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Is Qa No
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