Acute changes in heart rate variability in subjects with diabetes following a highway traffic exposure.
OBJECTIVE
To pilot a protocol to evaluate acute cardiovascular effects in in-vehicle exposure to traffic air pollutants in people with diabetes.


METHODS
Twenty-one volunteers with type 2 diabetes were passengers on 90- to 110-minute car rides on a busy highway. We measured in-vehicle particle number and mass (PM2.5) nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide and heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and blood pressure.


RESULTS
Compared with pre-ride measurements, we found a decrease in high frequency (HF) HRV from pre-ride to next day (ratio 0.66, 95% CI = 0.47 to 0.93) and an increase in low frequency to HF ratio at post-ride (ratio 1.92, 95% CI = 1.21 to 3.05) at post-ride. Interquartile range increases in measured pollutants were associated with next-day decreases in HR HRV.


CONCLUSIONS
This protocol appears useful for assessing acute adverse cardiovascular effects of in-vehicle exposures among people who have diabetes.
Laumbach
Robert J
RJ
Division of Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine, Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA. laumbach@eohsi.rutgers.edu
Rich
David Q
DQ
Gandhi
Sampada
S
Amorosa
Louis
L
Schneider
Stephen
S
Zhang
Junfeng
J
Ohman-Strickland
Pamela
P
Gong
Jicheng
J
Lelyanov
Oleksiy
O
Kipen
Howard M
HM
D000368:Aged; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis
D000393:Air Pollutants; D001335:Vehicle Emissions