Association between exposure to particulate matter and heart rate variability in vulnerable and susceptible individuals

Yong Whi Jeong; Hayon Michelle Choi; Youhyun Park; Yongjin Lee; Ji Ye Jung; Dae Ryong Kang

doi:10.1038/s41746-024-01373-5

Association between exposure to particulate matter and heart rate variability in vulnerable and susceptible individuals

NPJ Digit Med. 2025 Jan 24;8(1):52. doi: 10.1038/s41746-024-01373-5.

Authors

Yong Whi Jeong¹, Hayon Michelle Choi², Youhyun Park¹, Yongjin Lee³, Ji Ye Jung⁴, Dae Ryong Kang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Wonju, South Korea.
² Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
³ Institute for Environmental Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
⁴ Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. STOPYES@yuhs.ac.
⁵ Department of Precision Medicine, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju, South Korea. dr.kang@yonsei.ac.kr.

PMID: 39856241
DOI: 10.1038/s41746-024-01373-5

Abstract

Particulate matter (PM) exposure can reduce heart rate variability (HRV), a cardiovascular health marker. This study examines PM_1.0 (aerodynamic diameters <1 μm), PM_2.5 (≥1 μm and <2.5 μm), and PM₁₀ (≥2.5 μm and <10 μm) effects on HRV in patients with environmental diseases as chronic disease groups and vulnerable populations as control groups. PM levels were measured indoors and outdoors for five days in 97 participants, with 24-h HRV monitoring via wearable devices. PM exposure was assessed by categorizing daily cumulative PM concentrations into higher and lower exposure days, while daily average PM concentrations were used for analysis. Results showed significant negative associations between exposure to single and mixtures of different PM metrics and HRV across all groups, particularly in chronic airway disease and higher air pollution exposed groups. These findings highlight that even lower PM levels may reduce HRV, suggesting a need for stricter standards to protect sensitive individuals.