Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Institute of Environmental Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Korea.
J Korean Med Sci. 2020 Mar 16;35(10):e64. doi: 10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e64.
Individual particulate respirator use may offer protection against exposure to particulate matter < 2.5 μm in diameter (PM). Among elderly Korean women, we explored individual particulate respirator use and cardiopulmonary function.
Recruited in Seoul, Korea, 21 elderly, non-smoking women wore particulate respirators for six consecutive days (exlcuding time spent eating, sleeping, and bathing). We measured resting blood pressure before, during, and after respirator use and recorded systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial blood pressure, pulse pressure, and lung function. We also measured 12-hour ambulatory blood pressure at the end of the 6-day long experiment and control periods. Additionally, we examined physiological stress (heart rate variability and urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine) while wearing the particulate respirators. Person- and exposure-level covariates were also considered in the model.
After the 6-day period of respirator use, resting blood pressure was reduced by 5.3 mmHg for systolic blood pressure ( = 0.013), 2.9 mmHg for mean arterial blood pressure ( = 0.079), and 3.6 mmHg for pulse pressure ( = 0.024). However, particulate respirator use was associated with changes in physiological stress markers. A parasympathetic activity marker (high frequency) significantly decreased by 24.0% ( = 0.029), whereas a sympathetic activity marker (ratio of low-to-high frequency) increased by 50.3% ( = 0.045). An oxidative stress marker, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, increased by 3.4 ng/mg creatinine ( = 0.021) during the experimental period compared with that during the control period. Lung function indices indicated that wearing particulate respirators was protective; however, statistical significance was not confirmed.
Individual particulate respirator use may prevent PM2.5-induced blood-pressure elevation among elderly Korean women. However, the effects of particulate respirator use, including physiological stress marker elevation, should also be considered.
Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0003526.
个体颗粒物防护口罩的使用可能有助于预防直径<2.5μm 的颗粒物（PM）暴露。在韩国的老年女性中，我们探讨了个体颗粒物防护口罩的使用与心肺功能之间的关系。
在韩国首尔招募了 21 名不吸烟的老年女性，让她们连续 6 天佩戴颗粒物防护口罩（不包括吃饭、睡觉和洗澡时间）。我们在佩戴防护口罩前后以及佩戴期间测量静息血压，并记录收缩压、舒张压、平均动脉压、脉压和肺功能。在 6 天的实验和对照期结束时，我们还测量了 12 小时动态血压。此外，我们还在佩戴颗粒物防护口罩时检查了生理应激（心率变异性和尿 8-羟基-2'-脱氧鸟苷）。在模型中还考虑了个体和暴露水平的协变量。
佩戴防护口罩 6 天后，收缩压降低了 5.3mmHg（ = 0.013），平均动脉压降低了 2.9mmHg（ = 0.079），脉压降低了 3.6mmHg（ = 0.024）。然而，颗粒物防护口罩的使用与生理应激标志物的变化有关。副交感神经活性标志物（高频）显著降低了 24.0%（ = 0.029），而交感神经活性标志物（低频与高频之比）增加了 50.3%（ = 0.045）。在实验期间，氧化应激标志物 8-羟基-2'-脱氧鸟苷比对照期间增加了 3.4ng/mg 肌酐（ = 0.021）。肺功能指数表明，佩戴颗粒物防护口罩具有保护作用；然而，未确认其统计学意义。
个体颗粒物防护口罩的使用可能预防 PM2.5 引起的韩国老年女性血压升高。然而，也应考虑颗粒物防护口罩使用的影响，包括生理应激标志物的升高。
临床研究信息服务标识符：KCT0003526。
