US EPA

3454689 

Journal Article 

Cardiovascular Benefits of Wearing Particulate-Filtering Respirators: A Randomized Crossover Trial 

Shi, J; Lin, Z; Chen, R; Wang, C; Yang, C; Cai, J; Lin, J; Xu, X; Ross, JA; Zhao, Z; Kan, H 

2016 

Yes 

Environmental Health Perspectives
ISSN: 0091-6765
EISSN: 1552-9924 

125 

2 

175-180 

English 

27562361 

10.1289/EHP73 

WOS:000394004000010 

BACKGROUND: Practical approaches to protect the individual health from ambient particulate matter are urgently needed in developing countries. The evidence is limited on the health benefits of wearing particulate-filtering respirators.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the short-term cardiovascular health effects of wearing respirators in China.

METHODS: A randomized crossover trial was performed in 24 healthy young adults in Shanghai, China in 2014. The subjects were randomized into 2 groups and wore alternately a particulate-filtering respirator for 48 hours with a 3-week washout interval. Heart rate variability (HRV) and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) were continuously monitored during the 2nd 24 hours in each intervention. Circulating biomarkers were measured at the end of each intervention. Linear mixed-effect models were applied to evaluate the effects of wearing respirators on health outcomes.

RESULTS: During the intervention periods, the mean daily average concentration of PM2.5 was 74.2 µg/m(3). Compared with the absence of respirators, wearing respirators was associated with a decrease of 2.7 mmHg (95% confidence intervals(CI): 0.1, 5.2 mmHg) in systolic BP and increases of HRV parameters, including 12.5%(95% CI: 3.8%, 21.2%) in high frequency(HF) power, 10.9%(95% CI: 1.8%,20.0%) in the root mean square of the successive differences, and 22.1%(95%CI:3.6%,40.7%) in the percentage of successive NN intervals differing by>50ms. The presence of respirators was also associated with a decrease of 7.8% (95% CI: 3.5%, 12.1%) in the ratio of low frequency(LF)/HF power.

CONCLUSIONS: Short-term wearing of particulate-filtering respirators may obtain cardiovascular benefits in improving autonomic nervous function and reducing BP.