Effects of mobile phone radiation on heart rate variability of healthy young subjects

Abstract

Background and Aim: The potential health risk of the radiofrequency electromagnetic fields which are emitted by mobile phones (MPs) is of considerable public interest. The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of the call with a MP on heart rate variability (HRV) in healthy young male and female subjects. Methods: Heart rate variability was measured in 100 young healthy subjects of either sex from 5 min continuous recording of heart rate using windows-based HRV analysis system during three conditions: (1) When MP is switched off (Period I) (2) when MP is switched on (Period II) (3) during call on MP for 5 min (Period III). Results: In female subjects, we found that the time domain parameters like root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent NN intervals, standard deviation of differences between adjacent NN intervals, NN50, pNN50 were significantly reduced during Period II and Period III as compared to Period I. Furthermore, the frequency domain parameters such as low frequency (LF) and LF/high frequency (HF) were significantly increased during Period II and Period III as compared to Period I. Whereas HF was significantly reduced during Period II and Period III as compared to Period I in female subjects. In the male, only NN50 count was significantly reduced during Period II and Period III as compared to Period I. Conclusion: Increase in the sympathetic tone concomitant with the decrease in the parasympathetic tone was observed during the MP usage in female subjects. However, only the parasympathetic tone may be reduced in male subjects while using MPs.