Increasing evidence suggests that obesity may impart greater susceptibility to adverse effects of air pollution. Particulate matter, especially PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter d 2.5 µm) , is associated with increased cardiac events and reduction of heart rate variability (HRV). Study examined PM2.5-mediated acute effects on HRV and heart rate (HR) using 10 24-hr and 13 48-hr ambulatory electrocardiogram recordings collected from 18 boilermakers ( 39.5 ± 9.1 years of age) exposed to high levels of metal particulates. Average HR and 5-min HRV [SDNN: standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (NN) ; rMSSD: square-root of mean squared-differences of successive NN intervals ; HF: high-frequency power 0.15–0.4 Hz] and personal PM2.5 exposures were continuously monitored. Subjects with body mass index e 30 kg/m2 were classified as obese. Mixed-effect models were used for statistical analyses. The study revealed greater autonomic cardiac responses to metal particulates in obese workers, supporting the hypothesis that obesity may impart greater susceptibility to acute cardiovascular effects of fine particles.

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