title: Long-Term Metal PM2.5 Exposures Decrease Cardiac Acceleration and Deceleration Capacities in Welders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to clarify whether long-term metal particulates affect cardiac acceleration capacity (AC), deceleration capacity (DC), or both.
  
  
  METHODS
  We calculated chronic exposure index (CEI) for PM2.5 over the work life of 50 boilermakers and obtained their resting AC and DC. Linear regression was used to assess the associations between CEI PM2.5 exposure and each of AC and DC, controlling for age, acute effects of welding exposure, and diurnal variation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (standard deviation) CEI for PM2.5 exposure was 1.6 (2.4) mg/m-work years and ranged from 0.001 to 14.6 mg/m-work years. In our fully adjusted models, a 1 mg/m-work year increase in CEI for PM2.5 was associated with a decrease of 1.03 (95% confidence interval: 0.10, 1.96) ms resting AC, and a decrease of 0.67 (95% confidence interval: -0.14, 1.49) ms resting DC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term metal particulate exposures decrease cardiac accelerations and decelerations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health (Dr Umukoro, Dr Fan, Dr Zhang, Dr Cavallari, Dr Fang, Dr Lu, Dr Christiani); Consulting (Dr Fan), Adheris Health; Department of Epidemiology (Dr Ittleman, Dr Christiani), Department of Biostatistics (Dr Lin), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Mass; Department of Community Medicine and Health Care (Dr Cavallari), University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington; Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit (Dr Mittleman), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; Medical Department (Dr Schmidt), Munich University of Technology; DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research) Partner site Munich Heart Alliance (Dr Schmidt), Munich, Germany; and Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit (Dr Christiani), Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston.
authors.forename: Peter E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Umukoro
authors.forename: Tianteng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Jinming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cavallari
authors.forename: Shona C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Chensheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Xihong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Murray A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mittleman
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Christiani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000633:toxicity; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005740:Gases / Q000633:toxicity; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals / Q000633:toxicity*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013997:Time Factors; D014896:Welding
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D005740:Gases; D008670:Metals; D052638:Particulate Matter