Association of Autonomic Balance With Phone Call Duration in Healthy Individuals

Background This study aimed to estimate the association of autonomic balance with the duration of phone calls in healthy individuals. Methodology A total of 30 subjects aged between 18 and 30 years without any established systemic disease and using mobile phones for more than five years with minimum daily usage of 30 minutes were included in this analytical study. Heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded using a three-channel physiograph (AD Instruments South Asia (India) Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India) with the software LabChart PROV8.1.8 with HRV Module version 2.0.3 for 10 minutes. Time domain parameters were recorded in terms of the standard deviation of normal to normal interval (SDNN), root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats (RMSSD), R-R intervals greater than 50 ms (pRR50), and mean heart rate (MHR), and frequency domain parameters were total power, low-frequency power (LF), high-frequency power (HF), and the ratio of low-frequency to high-frequency power (LF/HF). HRV was recorded three times in each subject that included baseline HRV, HRV during the use of a mobile phone, and HRV after the use of a mobile phone. Results A total of 30 subjects (14 males and 16 females) participated in this study. The mean age of participants was 31.93 ± 8.59 years (32.07 ± 9.87 years for males, and 31.81 ± 7.64 years for females). There were no findings of significant arrhythmia in any of the participants. There was a significant difference in pRR50 on comparing all three phases (p = 0.036). However, there was no significant variation in other parameters such as very low frequency (VLF, ms2), VLF (%), LF (ms2), LF (%), HF (ms2), HF (%), LF/HF, SDNN (ms), RMSSD (ms), Poincare plot standard deviation perpendicular to the line of identity (ms), Poincare plot standard deviation along the line of identity (ms), systolic blood pressure (mmHg), and diabolic blood pressure (mmHg) during, before, and after exposure to mobile phone calls. There was no significant difference in the value of all parameters between males and females (p < 0.05). Conclusions Mobile phone calls may influence HRV and autonomic balance. This change may be affected by the electromagnetic field and by speaking as well.

Keywords: blood pressure; covid-19; electromagnetic field; heart rate variability; mobile phone.

PMID: 36779133 PMCID: PMC9908824 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.33566