Published ahead of print on May 13, 2004, doi:10.1164/rccm.200402-244OC Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Volume 170, Number 4, August 2004, 383-387 A more recent version of this article appeared on August 15, 2004
Submitted on February 26, 2004 Ambient Air Pollution and Oxygen SaturationDawn L DeMeo1*,1 Department of Medicine, Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA, 2 Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Exposure, Epidemiology and Risk Program, Boston, MA, USA, 3 Department of Medicine, Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Exposure, Epidemiology and Risk Program, Boston, MA, USA * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: redld{at}channing.harvard.edu.
We investigated the association between fine particulate air pollution and oxygen saturation as measured by a peripheral oxygen saturation monitor during a 12 week repeated measures study of 28 older Boston residents. Oxygen saturation and air pollution particulates with mean diameter less than or equal to 2.5 µm were measured continuously during a protocol of rest, standing, exercise, post-exercise rest and 20 cycles of slow, paced breathing. In fixed effect models, mean pollution concentration was associated with reduced oxygen saturation during the baseline rest period (6 hour mean(-0.173%),(95% CI:-0.345 , -0.001)), post-exercise (6 hour mean (-0.173%), 95%CI: (-0.332, -0.014)), with a trend toward decrease during post-exercise paced breathing (6 hour mean (-0.142%), 95%CI:(-0.292, 0.007)) but not during exercise. Participants on beta-blockers had a larger pollution-related decrease in oxygen saturation at rest (6 hour mean (-0.769 %); 95% CI: ( -1.210, -0.327)( interaction for PM2.5 by beta-blocker, p <0.0005) than those not on beta-blockers (p >0.25). The reduction in oxygen saturation associated with air pollution may result from subtle particulate-related pulmonary vascular and/or inflammatory changes. Further investigation may contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms through which particulates may increase respiratory and cardiac morbidity among vulnerable populations. Key words: epidemiology, air pollution, respiratory physiology
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