Complementary Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine
Complementary Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine
Complementary Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine
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Chapter 13 / Energy <strong>Medicine</strong>s and Therapies 205<br />
funding has been available for studying the detrimental effects of computer<br />
terminals, power lines, and, more recently, cell phones.<br />
Under certain conditions, residential and occupational exposure to<br />
power lines and other types of man-made EM fields can produce detrimental<br />
effects. Potential detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system<br />
have also been evaluated. Several reviews of radiowave/microwave<br />
EM fields concluded that in order to see changes in heart rate and blood<br />
pressure, relatively high field strengths (kW/cm 2 ) are required (11). A<br />
recent review of cardiovascular effects of low-frequency EM fields concludes<br />
that ECG, heart rate, and blood pressure effects require field<br />
strengths of several Tesla (12). An extensive study was unable to reveal<br />
any cardiovascular effects using low-intensity (100 mT) fields over a wide<br />
range of low frequencies (13). These studies concluded that weak 60Hz EM<br />
fields do not have a detrimental effect on the measured cardiovascular parameters<br />
(11).<br />
Beneficial Effects of Electromagnetic Fields<br />
on <strong>Cardiovascular</strong> Disease<br />
Because they can be easily generated using commercial flat magnets<br />
with north/south (N/S) poles on opposite faces, clinical studies using DC<br />
magnetic fields have been conducted. Studies of animals using DC or<br />
static magnetic fields have noted improved blood flow after topical<br />
application of various strength magnets for relatively short time periods.<br />
For example, a recent study in mice measured the ability of weak (1 mT)<br />
magnetic fields to increase capillary blood flow velocity in tibialis<br />
anterior muscles (14). The effect required only 10 min of exposure and<br />
lasted for an extended period after removal of the magnets. Another<br />
recent animal study noted effects on microvascular dynamics after only<br />
1 min of exposure, although somewhat stronger magnets (10 mT) were<br />
required (15). Long-term exposure for several weeks resulted in vasodilation<br />
of arterioles in a rabbit model (16). In a rabbit hypertension model,<br />
whole-body exposure to magnets (approx 10 mT) increased capillary<br />
blood flow, and, in some cases, concomitant changes in blood pressure<br />
were recorded. (17).<br />
It was discovered in the late 1980s that, in addition to stimulating<br />
heart muscle with electrical currents, high-frequency (11 MHz and 29<br />
GHz) EM fields of relatively low amplitude (5 mW/cm 2 ) increased the<br />
tension of heart muscles made to contract by standard electrical stimulation<br />
(18). This study pioneered the use of EM fields in cardiology.<br />
More recently, an EM cardiac pacemaker was developed, which generates<br />
a weak magnetic field (160 uT), with frequencies similar to those in<br />
the power spectrum of the ECG (19).