Differences in Heart Rate Variability Associated with Long-Term Exposure to NO2

BACKGROUND: Heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of cardiac autonomic tone, has been associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Short-term studies have shown that subjects exposed to higher traffic-associated air pollutant levels have lower HRV. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to investigate the effect of long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide on HRV in the Swiss cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA). METHODS: We recorded 24-hr electrocardiograms in randomly selected SAPALDIA participants >or= 50 years of age. Other examinations included an interview investigating health status and measurements of blood pressure, body height, and weight. Annual exposure to NO2 at the address of residence was predicted by hybrid models (i.e., a combination of dispersion predictions, land-use, and meteorologic parameters). We estimated the association between NO2 and HRV in multivariable linear regression models. Complete data for analyses were available for 1,408 subjects. RESULTS: For women, but not for men, each 10-microg/m3 increment in 1-year averaged NO2 level was associated with a decrement of 3% (95% CI, -4 to -1) for the standard deviation of all normal-to-normal RR intervals (SDNN), -6% (95% CI, -11 to -1) for nighttime low frequency (LF), and -5% (95% CI, -9 to 0) for nighttime LF/high-frequency (HF) ratio. We saw no significant effect for 24-hr total power (TP), HF, LF, or LF/HF or for nighttime SDNN, TP, or HF. In subjects with self-reported cardiovascular problems, SDNN decreased by 4% (95% CI, -8 to -1) per 10-microg/m3 increase in NO2. CONCLUSIONS: There is some evidence that long-term exposure to NO2 is associated with cardiac autonomic dysfunction in elderly women and in subjects with cardiovascular disease

Comparing the lung cancer burden of ambient particulate matter using scenarios of air quality standards versus acceptable risk levels

Objectives Ambient particulate matter (PM) is regulated with science-based air quality standards, whereas carcinogens are regulated with a number of “acceptable” cases. Given that PM is also carcinogenic, we identify differences between approaches. Methods We assessed the lung cancer deaths for Switzerland attributable to exposure to PM up to 10 µm (PM10) and to five particle-bound carcinogens. For PM10, we used an epidemiological approach based on relative risks with four exposure scenarios compared to two counterfactual concentrations. For carcinogens, we used a toxicological approach based on unit risks with four exposure scenarios. Results The lung cancer burden using concentrations from 2010 was 10–14 times larger for PM10 than for the five carcinogens. However, the burden depends on the underlying exposure scenarios, counterfactual concentrations and number of carcinogens. All scenarios of the toxicological approach for five carcinogens result in a lower burden than the epidemiological approach for PM10. Conclusions Air quality standards—promoted so far by the WHO Air Quality Guidelines—provide a more appealing framework to guide health risk-oriented clean air policymaking than frameworks based on a number of “acceptable” cases

Comparing the lung cancer burden of ambient particulate matter using scenarios of air quality standards versus acceptable risk levels

Ambient particulate matter (PM) is regulated with science-based air quality standards, whereas carcinogens are regulated with a number of "acceptable" cases. Given that PM is also carcinogenic, we identify differences between approaches.; We assessed the lung cancer deaths for Switzerland attributable to exposure to PM up to 10 µm (PM; 10; ) and to five particle-bound carcinogens. For PM; 10; , we used an epidemiological approach based on relative risks with four exposure scenarios compared to two counterfactual concentrations. For carcinogens, we used a toxicological approach based on unit risks with four exposure scenarios.; The lung cancer burden using concentrations from 2010 was 10-14 times larger for PM; 10; than for the five carcinogens. However, the burden depends on the underlying exposure scenarios, counterfactual concentrations and number of carcinogens. All scenarios of the toxicological approach for five carcinogens result in a lower burden than the epidemiological approach for PM; 10; .; Air quality standards-promoted so far by the WHO Air Quality Guidelines-provide a more appealing framework to guide health risk-oriented clean air policymaking than frameworks based on a number of "acceptable" cases

Long-term smoking cessation and heart rate dynamics in an aging healthy cohort: Is it possible to fully recover?

To evaluate the long-term influence of smoking cessation on the regulation of the autonomic cardiovascular system in an aging general population, using the subpopulation of lifelong non-smokers as control group