Heart rate variability in workers exposed to carbon disulfide

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Autonomic Nervous System Function

Background:

• Cardiovascular impairments from carbon disulfide (CS2) exposure are suspected to involve autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction.
• Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis is a valuable tool for assessing sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate autonomic nervous system function in workers exposed to carbon disulfide using HRV analysis.
• To determine the relationship between CS2 exposure levels and the severity of neurovegetative regulation impairments.

Main Methods:

• Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis was performed on 152 workers exposed to CS2 and 93 healthy controls.
• Time-domain and frequency-domain HRV indices were calculated, including power spectrum analysis (VLF, LF, HF bands).
• Fast Fourier Transformation was used for frequency-domain analysis.

Main Results:

• Workers exposed to CS2 exhibited impaired neurovegetative regulation, characterized by increased resting heart rate and reduced power spectrum across all HRV frequency bands (VLF, LF, HF).
• Abnormalities were observed even at low CS2 exposure levels (0-10 mg/m3), particularly affecting the VLF band.
• Autonomic dysfunction, impacting both sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, intensified with higher CS2 concentrations (over 18 mg/m3).

Conclusions:

• Occupational exposure to carbon disulfide can lead to impaired neurovegetative regulation of cardiovascular function.
• HRV analysis demonstrates significant autonomic dysfunction in CS2-exposed workers, even at low exposure levels.
• The findings highlight the cardiotoxic potential of CS2 and the importance of monitoring ANS function in exposed populations.