Anger, stress, dysregulation produces wear and tear on the lung

Effects of Geometric Sound on Brainwave Activity Patterns, Autonomic Nervous System Markers, Emotional Response, and Faraday Wave Pattern Morphology

This study introduces Geometric Sound as a subfield of spatial sound featuring audio stimuli which are sonic holograms of mathematically defined 3D shapes. The effects of Geometric Sound on human physiology were investigated through EEG, heart rate, blood pressure, and a combination of questionnaires monitoring 50 healthy participants in two separate experiments. The impact of Geometric Sound on Faraday wave pattern morphology was further studied. The shapes examined, pyramid, cube, and sphere, exhibited varying significant effects on autonomic nervous system markers, brainwave power amplitude, topology, and connectivity patterns, in comparison to both the control (traditional stereo), and recorded baseline where no sound was presented. Brain activity in the Alpha band exhibited the most significant results, additional noteworthy results were observed across analysis paradigms in all frequency bands. Geometric Sound was found to significantly reduce heart rate and blood pressure and enhance relaxation and general well-being. Changes in EEG, heart rate, and blood pressure were primarily shape-dependent, and to a lesser extent sex-dependent. Pyramid Geometric Sound yielded the most significant results in most analysis paradigms. Faraday Waves patterns morphology analysis indicated that identical frequencies result in patterns that correlate with the excitation Geometric Sound shape. We suggest that Geometric Sound shows promise as a noninvasive therapeutic approach for physical and psychological conditions, stress-related disorders, depression, anxiety, and neurotrauma. Further research is warranted to elucidate underlying mechanisms and expand its applications.

Association of neighborhood deprivation with pulmonary function measures among participants in the Gulf Long-Term Follow-up Study

INTRODUCTION

Individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) has been shown to be an important determinant of lung function. Neighborhood level SES factors may increase psychological and physiologic stress and may also reflect other exposures that can adversely affect lung function, but few studies have considered neighborhood factors.

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to assess the association between neighborhood-level SES and lung function.

METHODS

We cross-sectionally analyzed 6168 spirometry test results from participants in the Gulf long-term Follow-up Study, a large cohort of adults enrolled following the largest maritime oil spill in US history. Outcomes of interest included the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁; mL), the forced vital capacity (FVC; mL), and the FEV₁/FVC ratio (%). Neighborhood deprivation was measured by linking participant home addresses to an existing Area Deprivation Index (ADI) and categorized into quartiles. Individual-level SES measures were collected at enrollment using a structured questionnaire and included income, educational attainment, and financial strain. We used multilevel regression to estimate associations between ADI quartiles and each lung function measure.

RESULTS

Greater neighborhood deprivation was associated with lower FEV₁: β_Q2vsQ1: -30 mL (95% CI: -97, 36), β_Q3vsQ1: -70 mL (95% CI: -135, -4) and β_Q4vsQ1: -104 mL (95% CI: -171, -36). FVC showed similar patterns of associations with neighborhood deprivation. No associations with the FEV₁/FVC ratio were observed.

CONCLUSION

Neighborhood deprivation, a measure incorporating economic and other stressors, was associated with lower FEV₁ and FVC, with magnitudes of associations reaching clinically meaningful levels. The impact of this neighborhood SES measure persisted even after adjustment for individual-level SES factors.

Lung physiology and controlled exposure study design

Controlled human inhalation exposure ( CHIE) studies provide a unique opportunity to conduct formal experiments to examine the human health effects of airborne pollutants. Lung function, easily measured using spirometry, is a common physiological variable often utilized in these studies. By design, CHIE studies only induce mild and reversible acute effects, which may or may not predict adverse effects that may develop under chronic exposure conditions. There is substantial inter- and intra-individual variability in functional capacity and symptoms such as chest tightness and dyspnea, which are complex variables that are affected by individual perception, physiological lung impairment, and other variables (e.g., concomitant health conditions, and level of conditioning/fitness). Thus, the design of the CHIE study and physiological and environmental factors of study participants can affect each CHIE study's results. Researchers can address many of these critical issues in the problem formulation phase of CHIE studies, utilizing existing information on the expected effects of the substance of interest and possible modes of action. Thoughtful design and interpretation of CHIE studies will increase their utility for evaluating and setting environmental health policy.

Inequality amplifies the negative association between life expectancy and air pollution: A cross-national longitudinal study

Ambient air pollution, in the form of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), poses serious population health risks. We estimate cross-national longitudinal models to test whether the negative relationship between life expectancy and PM_2.5 concentration is larger in nations with higher levels of income inequality. The dependent variable is average life expectancy at birth, and the focal predictor variables include PM_2.5 concentration, income inequality, and the two-way interaction between them. We also estimate the average marginal effects of PM_2.5 concentration from low to high values of income inequality, and the predicted values of life expectancy from low to high values of PM_2.5 concentration and income inequality. Results indicate that the negative relationship between life expectancy and PM_2.5 concentration is larger in nations with higher levels of income inequality, and the reductions in predicted life expectancy are substantial when both PM_2.5 concentration and income inequality are high. We suggest that the theoretical principles of Power, Proximity, and Physiology help explain our findings. This study underscores the importance in considering the multiplicative impacts of environmental conditions and socioeconomic factors in the modeling of population health.

The multiplicative impacts of working hours and fine particulate matter concentration on life expectancy: A longitudinal analysis of US States

This study contributes to interdisciplinary research on the social and environmental determinants of population health, with a focus on the interaction between working hours and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentration. The authors estimate longitudinal models of the relationship between US state-level average life expectancy and both average working hours and PM_2.5 concentration for the 2005-2014 period. Results obtained from two-way fixed effects models indicate that average life expectancy is negatively associated with both average working hours and fine particulate matter concentration. Findings also indicate clear moderating relationships: the negative association between life expectancy and working hours is amplified as PM_2.5 concentration increases, and the negative relationship between life expectancy and fine particulate matter concentration is amplified when average working hours increase. The results of this study underscore the need for additional research on the multiplicative impacts of socioeconomic factors and environmental factors in the modeling of population health.

COVID-19: Reduced Lung Function and Increased Psycho-emotional Stress

The COVID-19 outbreak causing reduced lung function and increased psycho-emotional stress in the community worldwide. Therefore, it is of interest to document such viral outbreak related emotional stress data in the community with known molecular and patho-physiological parameters of the affected individuals. We provide a concise, coherent, critical, precise, specific and direct narration of such events from a community research viewpoint using known molecular data in this editorial.

Air quality and life expectancy in the United States: An analysis of the moderating effect of income inequality

Although studies have shown that air pollution can be devastating to population health, little is known about the health implications of the intersection of air pollution and income inequality. We investigate if air pollution is especially detrimental to the health of US state populations characterized by more inequitable distributions of income. In other words, are the populations of states with higher levels of income inequality especially vulnerable to similar levels of air pollution? We use two-way fixed-effects panel regression techniques to analyze longitudinal data for 49 US states and the District of Columbia (2000-2010) to model state-level life expectancy as a function of fine particulate matter, income inequality, and other state-level factors. We estimate models with interaction terms to formally assess whether the association between fine particulate matter and life expectancy varies by level of state income inequality. Across multiple life expectancy outcomes and additive models, states with higher PM_2.5 levels tend to exhibit lower average life expectancy. This general pattern is observed with our specifications for raw and weighted PM_2.5 and with adjustments for income share of the top 10%, total population, GDP per capita, median household income, median age, percent college degree or higher, percent black, and percent Hispanic/Latino. We also find that the association between state PM_2.5 levels and average life expectancy intensifies in states with higher levels of income inequality. More specifically, PM_2.5 levels are more detrimental to population life expectancy in states where a higher percentage of income is concentrated in the top 10% of the state income distribution. We discuss the implications of our results for future research in social epidemiology and environmental justice.

Association of prenatal and early childhood stress with reduced lung function in 7-year-olds

BACKGROUND

No prior study has examined associations between prenatal and early-life stress on childhood lung function or identified critical windows of exposure.

OBJECTIVE

To prospectively examine associations between prenatal and early-life stress and childhood lung function.

METHODS

Stress was indexed by a maternal negative life events (NLEs) score ascertained during pregnancy and between 1 and 2 years post partum. Spirometry was performed when children were a mean (SD) of 6.99 (0.89) years old. Associations of prenatal and early postnatal stress with spirometry z scores were examined in 199 children using linear regression. Effect modification by child sex was explored.

RESULTS

Most mothers were minorities (65% Hispanic, 21% African American), had 12 years or less of education (67%), and did not smoke prenatally (78%). The highest level of prenatal stress (≥5 NLEs) was associated with lower levels of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) (z score = -0.53, P = .03), forced vital capacity (FVC) (z score = -0.49, P = .04), and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% (FEF_25%-75%) (z score = -0.68, P = .01) after covariate adjustment; effects were similar for postnatal stress considered separately. In sex-stratified analyses, high postnatal stress (≥5 NLEs) was associated with lower FEV₁ (z score = -0.76, P = .01), FVC (z score = -0.77, P = .01), and FEF_25%-75% (z score = -0.67, P = .02) in boys but not girls, although the interaction term was not significant (P for interaction >.10).

CONCLUSION

These are the first prospective data that link perinatal stress with reduced child lung function. High levels of stress in the prenatal and postnatal periods were associated with symmetric reductions in FEV₁ and FVC consistent with impaired lung growth. Given that lung function growth patterns are established by 7 years of age, these findings have lifelong implications.

Perceived stress and telomere length: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and methodologic considerations for advancing the field

IMPORTANCE

Psychological stress contributes to numerous diseases and may do so in part through damage to telomeres, protective non-coding segments on the ends of chromosomes.

OBJECTIVE

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the association between self-reported, perceived psychological stress (PS) and telomere length (TL).

DATA SOURCES

We searched 3 databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, and Scopus), completed manual searches of published and unpublished studies, and contacted all study authors to obtain potentially relevant data.

STUDY SELECTION

Two independent reviewers assessed studies for original research measuring (but not necessarily reporting the correlation between) PS and TL in human subjects. 23 studies met inclusion criteria; 22 (totaling 8948 subjects) could be meta-analyzed.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

We assessed study quality using modified MINORS criteria. Since not all included studies reported PS-TL correlations, we obtained them via direct calculation from author-provided data (7 studies), contact with authors (14 studies), or extraction from the published article (1 study).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

We conducted random-effects meta-analysis on our primary outcome, the age-adjusted PS-TL correlation. We investigated potential confounders and moderators (sex, life stress exposure, and PS measure validation) via post hoc subset analyses and meta-regression.

RESULTS

Increased PS was associated with a very small decrease in TL (n=8724 total; r=-0.06; 95% CI: -0.10, -0.008; p=0.01; α=0.025), adjusting for age. This relationship was similar between sexes and within studies using validated measures of PS, and marginally (nonsignificantly) stronger among samples recruited for stress exposure (r=-0.13; vs. general samples: b=-0.11; 95% CI: -0.27, 0.01; p=0.05; α=0.013). Publication bias may exist; correcting for its effects attenuated the relationship.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Our analysis finds a very small, statistically significant relationship between increased PS (as measured over the past month) and decreased TL that may reflect publication bias, although fully parsing the effects of publication bias from other sample-size correlates is challenging, as discussed. The association may be stronger with known major stressors and is similar in magnitude to that noted between obesity and TL. All included studies used single measures of short-term stress; the literature suggests long-term chronic stress may have a larger cumulative effect. Future research should assess for potential confounders and use longitudinal, multidimensional models of stress.

Psychological triggers and hyperventilation symptoms in asthma

BACKGROUND

Anecdotal accounts have identified hyperventilation as one route through which psychological factors can trigger bronchoconstriction. However, little is known about the empirical association between psychological and other trigger factors and hyperventilation in asthma exacerbations.

OBJECTIVE

To study the cross-sectional association between perceived triggers and hyperventilation symptoms in 1 British and 1 German sample of patients with asthma who were recruited from the community and from primary care clinics.

METHOD

Patients completed relevant language versions of the Asthma Trigger Inventory and the Asthma Symptom Checklist.

RESULTS

After controlling for demographics and asthma severity, perceived asthma triggers measured by subscales of the Asthma Trigger Inventory explained 12.5% to 37.3% of the variance in Asthma Symptom Checklist hyperventilation-hypocapnia symptoms. Psychological triggers accounted for 10.6% to 26.7% of the variance alone and 4.3% to 11.0% of the variance over and above other trigger factors. In contrast, perceived animal and pollen allergen triggers did not contribute unique variance to the hyperventilation symptom report. Psychological triggers did not explain variance in classic airway obstruction symptoms, thus arguing against a general bias toward inflated symptom reports in patients with psychologically induced asthma.

CONCLUSION

Differences in perceived asthma triggers are substantially associated with hyperventilation symptoms, and patients with more frequent psychological triggers also tend to report that they experience more hyperventilation symptoms during their asthma symptom episodes.