Abstract
Introduction: Fine particulate (PM 2.5 ) exposure has been related to higher propensity of arrhythmias in adults. However, the association between PM 2.5 exposure and arrhythmia in adolescents remains unclear. Hypothesis: PM 2.5 exposure is related to an acute increase in numbers of arrhythmic heartbeats in adolescents. Methods: We used data collected from 421 adolescents in the Penn State Child Cohort (PSCC) follow-up examination for this report. From each participant, we obtained 24-hour beat-to-beat ECG data using a 12-lead Holter ECG. From which, arrhythmias, including premature ventricular contraction (PVC) and premature atrial contraction (PAC), were identified. The number of PVCs and PACs every 30 minutes were analyzed with individual-level 30-minute average PM 2.5 concentrations obtained by using a personal minute-by-minute PM 2.5 monitor for 24 hours in parallel to the ECG. Thus, each participant contributed 48 30-minute segments of arrhythmia and PM 2.5 data. Polynomial distributed lag models within a framework of a negative binomial model were used to assess the segment-specific and cumulative effect of PM 2.5 concentration on numbers of PVC and PAC, adjusting for age, race, sex, BMI percentile, temperature, and humidity. Results: The mean (SD) age of PSCC was 16.9 (2.2) years, with 54% males, and 78% whites. The 30-minute mean (SD) of PM 2.5 concentration was 14.4 (45.4) μg/m 3 , while PVC and PAC counts were 0.2 (2.0) and 0.5 (4.0). As shown in the table, 10 μg/m 3 increases in PM 2.5 concentration 0.5-2.0 hours prior to the ECG measures (lags 1-3) each were associated with 2% increase in PVC counts (all p<0.05). Cumulatively, a 10 μg/m 3 increment in PM 2.5 was associated with a 5% (1% - 10%) increase in PVC counts within 2 hours after exposure. PM 2.5 was not related to PAC counts. Conclusion: Individual-level exposure to PM 2.5 is associated with an acute increased number of ventricular arrhythmia in population-based adolescents. The time course of the effect of PM 2.5 on ventricular arrhythmia is within 2 hours after exposure.
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