Korean J Fam Pract. 2017; 7(2): 253-257  https://doi.org/10.21215/kjfp.2017.7.2.253
Effects of the Inhalation of Negative Air Ions on Heart Rate Variability
Ja-Young Lee, Myung-Sun Jang, Eun-Hye Chae, Whan-Seok Choi*
Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
Whan-Seok Choi
Tel: +82-2-2258-2894, Fax: +82-2-2258-2907
E-mail: fmchs@catholic.ac.kr
Received: May 10, 2016; Revised: July 23, 2016; Accepted: August 19, 2016; Published online: April 20, 2017.
© The Korean Academy of Family Medicine. All rights reserved.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) can determine autonomic nervous system activity by measuring the balance of sympathetic and parasympathetic tones. This study aimed to identify the effects of exposure to negative air ions (NAIs) on HRV among smokers.
Methods: Twelve healthy smokers aged between 20 and 50 years were recruited through advertisement. The participants were grouped according to presence (group A) or absence (group B) of NAIs before and after smoking a cigarette. After 1 week, the participants in groups A and B were switched so that those who had not received treatment were treated and vice versa. All participants were re-examined for an additional week. The participants’ HRV indices including the mean R-R interval, standard deviation of normal to normal (NN) intervals (SDNN), and root mean square of successive differences between adjacent NN intervals (RMSSD) were measured before and after smoking. The differences between the mean values among groups were analyzed using a paired t-test.
Results: The differences in the mean value of HRV indices before smoking were not significant. However, after smoking, the heart rates were lower in the presence of NAIs compared to that in their absence (P<0.05). HRV indices were higher in the presence of NAIs compared to that in their absence (P<0.05).
Conclusion: NAIs mediate the regulation of autonomic nervous system activity and enhance parasympathetic activity.
Keywords: Anions; Heart Rate Variability; Heart Rate; Smoking
References
  1. Nakane H, Asami O, Yamada Y, Ohira H. Effect of negative air ions on computer operation, anxiety and salivary chromogranin A-like immunoreactivity. Int J Psychophysiol 2002; 46: 85-9.
    CrossRef
  2. Hawkins LH, Barker T. Air ions and human performance. Ergonomics 1978; 21: 273-8.
    Pubmed CrossRef
  3. Terman M, Terman JS. Treatment of seasonal affective disorder with a highoutput negative ionizer. J Altern Complement Med 1995; 1: 87-92.
    Pubmed CrossRef
  4. Yetes A, Gray FB, Misiaszek JI, Wolman W. Air ions: past problems and future directions. Environ Int 1986; 12: 99-108.
    CrossRef
  5. Livanova LM, Levshina IP, Nozdracheva LV, Elbakidze MG, Airapetyants MG. The protective effects of negative air ions in acute stress in rats with different typological behavioral characteristics. Neurosci Behav Physiol 1999;29: 393-5.
    Pubmed CrossRef
  6. Ryushi T, Kita I, Sakurai T, Yasumatsu M, Isokawa M, Aihara Y, et al. The effect of exposure to negative air ions on the recovery of physiological responses after moderate endurance exercise. Int J Biometeorol 1998; 41: 1326.
    CrossRef
  7. Suzuki S, Yanagita S, Amemiya S, Kato Y, Kubota N, Ryushi T, et al. Effects of negative air ions on activity of neural substrates involved in autonomic regulation in rats. Int J Biometeorol 2008; 52: 481-9.
    Pubmed CrossRef
  8. Yoo SL, Kim KH, Kim KK, Kim JH. Trends of smoking attributable mortality in Korea. Health Soc Sci 2005; 17: 133-148
  9. Lee KS, Park CY, Meng KH, Bush A, Lee SH, Lee WC, et al. The association of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption with other cardiovascular risk factors in men from Seoul, Korea. Ann Epidemiol 1998; 8: 31-8.
    CrossRef
  10. Lloyd B, Lucas K, Fernbach M. Adolescent girls’ constructions of smoking identities: implications for health promotion. J Adolesc 1997; 20: 43-56.
    Pubmed CrossRef
  11. Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology. Heart rate variability. Standards of measurement, physiological interpretation, and clinical use. Eur Heart J 1996; 17: 354-81.
    Pubmed CrossRef
  12. Han D, Ko MK, Kim DW, Kim IH, Kim YE. The effect of a cigarette smoking on smokers’ stress. Korean J Str Res 2007; 15: 171-6.
  13. Krueger AP, Smith RF. The effects of air ions of the living mammalian trachea. J Gen Physiol 1958; 42: 69-82.
    CrossRef
  14. Haxhiu MA, Loewy AD. Central connections of the motor and sensory vagal systems innervating the trachea. J Auton Nerv Syst 1996; 57: 49-56.
    CrossRef
  15. Krueger AP, Reed EJ. Biological impact of small air ions. Science 1976; 193:1209-13.
    CrossRef


This Article

e-submission

Archives