By Uloma Uche, Ph.D (EWG), Tasha Stoiber, Ph.D. (EWG), Olga Naidenko, Ph.D. (EWG), Environmental Working Group, 22 Nov. 2022
Human and animal research studies show that the cardiovascular system is sensitive to radiofrequency radiation. The developing organism, from the fetal stage through early life, is especially vulnerable to these exposures and their potential harms.
In animal studies, exposure to radiofrequency radiation has been associated with structural and biochemical changes of the heart. These changes include irregularity and degeneration of heart muscle fibers, congestion of blood vessels in cardiac muscle, increases in cardiac weight, and changes in the levels of key metabolic substances important for heart function. Examples of these adverse impacts identified in laboratory animals are listed in Table 1.
In two long-term animal studies, one conducted by the National Toxicology Program and another conducted by the Ramazzini Institute, in Italy, heart tumors were observed among laboratory animals exposed to radiofrequency radiation. In the NTP study, ventricular cardiomyopathy, a type of degenerative disease of the heart, was observed in laboratory rats following a relatively short period of 19 weeks of exposure to radiofrequency radiation.
Studies in people suggest that radiofrequency radiation can raise the risk for cardiovascular diseases by increasing blood pressure, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Changes in heart rate and altered response of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system have also been reported following exposure to radiofrequency radiation. Examples of such findings from human epidemiological research, some from occupational settings, are listed in Table 2.
The mechanism of radiofrequency radiation effects on the cardiovascular system is not yet clear. Published studies suggest that radiofrequency radiation increases the production of reactive oxygen species, which in turn may enhance lipid peroxidation and lead to oxidative damage. Radiofrequency radiation exposures can also cause changes to the permeability and function of the cell membrane, as well as changes in intracellular enzymes and DNA damage.
Table 1. Harm to the cardiovascular system documented in research on laboratory animals exposed to radiofrequency radiation.
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