D'Adamo Christopher R, Denmark DeAunne, Carreras-Gallo Natàlia, Dwaraka Varun, Smith Ryan, Blue Tom, Messier Helen
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Altum Medical, San Jose, CA, United States.
Integr Med (Encinitas). 2024 Sep;23(4):23-28.
The dramatic increase in exposure to non-native sources of electromagnetic fields (EMF) in recent years has given rise to numerous human health concerns. The near pervasive exposure to radiofrequency (RF) emanating from wireless technologies inside the home (e.g., cell phones, wireless routers, "Smart" devices) and outside of the home (e.g., cell towers, automobiles, computers at work, tablets at school) is particularly troubling. While epidemiological studies are somewhat conflicting to date, RF exposure is currently classified by the World Health Organization as a Class 2B carcinogen. Mechanisms of activity of the deleterious effects of RF exposure on human health include the generation of excessive oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and disruption of the production of melatonin and other hormones, all of which are believed to be due largely to the activation of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC). Mitigation strategies are currently generally limited to wireless device hygiene (e.g., hard-wired ethernet, turning off wireless routers at night, keeping cellphones away from the body) and metal-based shielding in the home, which can be expensive and not feasible for many. The goal of this pilot and feasibility trial was to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary signs of efficacy of an in-home resonance-based electromagnetic field protection device (BluShield) on various physiological and patient-reported outcomes commonly affected by excessive RF exposure.
A sample of relatively healthy adults was enrolled in a single arm, 12-week pilot and feasibility study. The intervention consisted of plugging in the BluShield device at home or at the participant's residence when traveling. Outcomes included laboratory panels assessing overall physiological health (CBC & CMP), blood markers related to inflammation, oxidative stress, DNA damage, and cellular senescence (Jinfiniti), a high-resolution genome-wide assessment of DNA methylation (TruDiagnostic), a validated questionnaire to assess cognitive function (CNS - Vital Signs), a wearable device to assess sleep and other physiological parameters (Oura ring), and a single-item assessment of overall health. Outcomes were compared before and after the intervention with paired tests or Wilcoxon signed rank tests, depending upon the distribution of data.
25 participants enrolled in the study. All participants reported compliance with the EMF mitigation device throughout the course of the study, and no adverse events were reported. There were limited changes in conventional labs (decrease in glucose, increase in monocytes; < .04]), but modest improvement in self-reported health ( = .02), improvements on numerous domains of the CNS - Vital Signs questionnaire (Composite Memory, Cognitive Flexibility, Executive Function, and Processing Speed; < .02), wearable device parameters (deep sleep, heart rate variability, resting heart rate, and body temperature; < .04), and perhaps most interestingly, hypermethylation of genes involved in RF exposure (including a key VGCC gene []; = .000045).
The use of the BluShield is feasible and revealed improvements in some markers of sleep, cognitive function, and overall health. These improvements may be due in part to suppression of VGCC activity, which previous literature has demonstrated is activated by RF exposure and can generate oxidative stress and inflammation. An RF mitigation strategy should focus primarily on limiting modifiable exposures within the home, and the device appears to be a promising component of a comprehensive approach.. Controlled studies are needed to mitigate potential sources of confounding in this single-arm pilot study. A specific focus among populations with excessive RF exposures that are not modifiable within the home, such as those living in high-density urban settings, in close proximity to cell towers, or certain occupational hazards, also appears warranted.
近年来，接触非本地来源的电磁场（EMF）急剧增加，引发了众多对人类健康的担忧。在家中（如手机、无线路由器、“智能”设备）和家外（如手机信号塔、汽车、工作场所的电脑、学校的平板电脑）广泛存在的无线技术发出的射频（RF）辐射尤其令人不安。尽管迄今为止的流行病学研究结果存在一定冲突，但世界卫生组织目前将射频辐射归类为2B类致癌物。射频辐射对人类健康产生有害影响的作用机制包括产生过多的氧化应激、慢性炎症以及干扰褪黑素和其他激素的分泌，所有这些都被认为主要是由于电压门控钙通道（VGCC）的激活所致。目前，缓解策略通常仅限于无线设备卫生措施（如使用有线以太网、夜间关闭无线路由器、使手机远离身体）以及家中的金属屏蔽，而这可能成本高昂且对许多人来说不可行。本试点及可行性试验的目的是评估一种基于共振的家用电磁场防护设备（BluShield）对各种通常受过度射频辐射影响的生理指标和患者报告结果的可行性及初步疗效迹象。
选取相对健康的成年人样本，进行单组、为期12周的试点及可行性研究。干预措施包括在家中或出行时在参与者住所插上BluShield设备。结果指标包括评估整体生理健康的实验室指标（血常规和综合代谢指标）、与炎症、氧化应激、DNA损伤和细胞衰老相关的血液标志物（Jinfiniti）、对DNA甲基化的高分辨率全基因组评估（TruDiagnostic）、一份用于评估认知功能的经过验证的问卷（CNS - Vital Signs）、一个用于评估睡眠和其他生理参数的可穿戴设备（Oura戒指）以及一项对整体健康的单项评估。根据数据分布情况，采用配对t检验或Wilcoxon符号秩检验比较干预前后的结果。
25名参与者纳入研究。所有参与者报告在研究过程中均遵守了电磁场缓解设备的使用要求，且未报告不良事件。传统实验室指标有有限变化（血糖降低、单核细胞增加；P <.04），但自我报告的健康状况有适度改善（P =.02），CNS - Vital Signs问卷的多个领域（综合记忆、认知灵活性、执行功能和处理速度；P <.02）、可穿戴设备参数（深度睡眠、心率变异性、静息心率和体温；P <.04）有所改善，或许最有趣的是，与射频辐射相关基因的甲基化增加（包括一个关键的电压门控钙通道基因[具体基因未提及]；P =.000045）。
使用BluShield是可行的，并显示出在一些睡眠、认知功能和整体健康指标上有所改善。这些改善可能部分归因于对电压门控钙通道活性的抑制，先前的文献表明该通道会被射频辐射激活并可产生氧化应激和炎症。一种射频缓解策略应主要侧重于限制家中可改变的暴露，并且该设备似乎是综合方法中有前景的一个组成部分。需要进行对照研究以减轻这个单组试点研究中潜在的混杂因素来源。对于家中无法改变的过度射频辐射人群，如居住在高密度城市环境、靠近手机信号塔或存在某些职业危害的人群，也有必要给予特别关注。
