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Acute effects on heart rate variability when exposed to hand transmitted vibration and noise

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Abstract

Objectives

This study investigates possible acute effects on heart rate variability (HRV) when people are exposed to hand transmitted vibration and noise individually and simultaneously.

Methods

Ten male and 10 female subjects were recruited by advertisement. Subjects completed a questionnaire concerning their work environment, general health, medication, hearing, and physical activity level. The test started with the subject resting for 15 min while sitting down. After resting, they were exposed to one of four exposure conditions: (1) only vibration; (2) only noise; (3) both noise and vibration; or (4) a control condition of exposure to the static load only. All four exposures lasted 15 min and the resting time between the exposures was 30 min. A continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) signal was recorded and the following HRV parameters were calculated: total spectral power (P TOT); the spectral power of the very low frequency component (P VLF); the low frequency component (P LF); the high frequency component (P HF); and the ratio LF/HF.

Results

Exposure to only vibration resulted in a lower P TOT compared to static load, whereas exposure to only noise resulted in a higher P TOT. The mean values of P TOT, P VLF, P LF, and P HF were lowest during exposure to vibration and simultaneous exposure to vibration and noise.

Conclusions

Exposure to vibration and/or noise acutely affects HRV compared to standing without these exposures. Being exposed to vibration only and being exposed to noise only seem to generate opposite effects. Compared to no exposure, P TOT was reduced during vibration exposure and increased during noise exposure.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support has been received from the Swedish Council for Work Life Research (RALF project number 2002-0549) and the Center for Environmental Research (CMF project number 0532287).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Occupational Medicine, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden

    Bodil Björ & Lage Burström

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering & Informatics, University Hospital, 901 85, Umeå, Sweden

    Marcus Karlsson & Urban Wiklund

  3. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sundsvall Hospital, 851 86, Sundsvall, Sweden

    Tohr Nilsson

  4. Department of Cardiology, Heart Centre, University Hospital, 901 85, Umeå, Sweden

    Ulf Näslund

  5. Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden

    Urban Wiklund

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  1. Bodil Björ
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  2. Lage Burström
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  3. Marcus Karlsson
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  4. Tohr Nilsson
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  5. Ulf Näslund
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  6. Urban Wiklund
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Correspondence to Bodil Björ.

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Björ, B., Burström, L., Karlsson, M. et al. Acute effects on heart rate variability when exposed to hand transmitted vibration and noise. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 81, 193–199 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-007-0205-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-007-0205-0

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