title: Association of heart rate variability of the elderly with personal exposure to PM 1, PM 1-2.5, and PM 2.5-10.
abstract: Environmental epidemiologic studies have shown that elderly people are susceptible to particulate air pollution. The decreases in heart rate variability are important indices of health effect caused by particulate matter. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of submicron particle (PM(1)), PM(1-2.5), and coarse particle (PM(2.5-10)) on heart rate variability parameters in the elderly. Results of our study indicated that short-term and medium-term PM exposures were associated with the reduction of heart rate variability in the elderly, with stronger effects found for coarse particles in comparison with particles of other size ranges.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering and Science, Feng Chia University, 100 Wenhwa Road, Taichung 407, Taiwan, ROC. ltechang@fcu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Li-Te
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chin-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Ying-Zu
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Chang-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter