The Effect of Exposure to Mobile Phones on Electrical Cardiac Measurements: A Multivariate Analysis and a Variable Selection Algorithm to Detect the Relationship With Mean Changes

Authors: Alharbi N, Alassiri M

Year: 2024 Oct 3

Category: Cardiology, Electromagnetic Health, Epidemiology

Journal: International Journal of Cell Biology

DOI: 10.1155/2024/7093771

URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2024/7093771

Abstract

Overview

Mobile phone usage has grown rapidly, prompting concerns about the health risks associated with electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure. Specifically, blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) are factors that can impair heart function and potentially worsen the risks of EMF exposure. However, the direct effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic (RF-EM) exposure from mobile phones on electrocardiograms (ECGs) and heart rate variability (HRV) have remained unclear.

Purpose

  • To examine whether exposure to mobile phones alters five cardiac electrical variables (P-R, QRS, QT, ST, HR) in a multivariate context.
  • To determine whether blood pressure and/or BMI affect changes in these variables when exposed to mobile phone EMF.

Methods

The study conducted multivariate analysis using previously collected cardiac measurement data from 20 healthy male subjects exposed to mobile phone EMF at four body locations. A one-sample Hotelling T2 test was applied, offering a comprehensive analysis beyond multiple univariate paired t-tests. The MMPC variable selection algorithm was employed to identify predictors of mean changes due to the small sample size.

Findings

  • Significant changes were observed in ECG intervals and heart rate before and after the first cycle of EMF exposure, regardless of BMI.
  • Heart rate, P-R, and QRS intervals decreased after exposure, while QT and ST intervals increased.
  • Changes were associated with differences in systolic blood pressure, but BMI showed no significant effect on these modifications.

Conclusion

Exposure to mobile phone EMF leads to measurable changes in electrical cardiac measurements. These effects are attributed to EMF exposure itself and are not influenced by BMI. This direct connection highlights a health risk association between mobile phone EMF exposure and cardiac electrical activity alterations.

EMF exposure mobile phones cardiac measurements ECG heart rate variability blood pressure body mass index
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