Open AccessAir Pollution-Induced Autonomic Modulation
Author(s) -
Thomas E. Taylor–Clark
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.14
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1548-9213
pISSN - 1548-9221
DOI - 10.1152/physiol.00017.2020
Subject(s) - pollutant , autonomic nervous system , mechanism (biology) , autonomic function , disease , medicine , hazard , heart rate variability , biology , neuroscience , ecology , heart rate , blood pressure , philosophy , epistemology
Air pollutants pose a serious worldwide health hazard, causing respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Pollutants perturb the autonomic nervous system, whose function is critical to cardiopulmonary homeostasis. Recent studies suggest that pollutants can stimulate defensive sensory nerves within the cardiopulmonary system, thus providing a possible mechanism for pollutant-induced autonomic dysfunction. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved would likely improve the management and treatment of pollution-related disease.