| Investigation of electrosensitive persons with regard to accompanying factors or diseases, such as allergies and increased exposure or sensitivity to heavy metals and chemicals |
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Topic Investigation of electrosensitive persons with regard to accompanying factors or diseases, such as allergies and increased exposure or sensitivity to heavy metals and chemicals Start 01.08.2005 End 30.04.2007 Project Management Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Psychiatric Clinic and Polyclinic Objective In a representative survey carried out on behalf of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), almost 9 % of the population stated that they believed their health had been adversely affected by high frequency fields of mobile telecommunication. A portion of these people describe themselves as being electrosensitive, i.e. particularly sensitive to low frequency electric and magnetic as well as to high frequency electromagnetic fields. A large portion claims to be suffering from other, additional factors or illnesses, respectively. The most important of these factors, or illnesses, are allergies and a particularly high burden, or increased sensitivity, to heavy metals and chemicals. The question whether these accompanying factors are truly significant co-factors in electromagnetic hypersensitivity was not considered in previous studies even though this is of tremendous importance to the persons affected. Using objective medical tests, this research project aimed to clarify whether or not there actually is a connection and, how according to type and intensity it might affect persons. If possible, the group of electrosensitive persons should be better characterised by further clinical parameters. Interim Results The first interim report presents the method for recruitment of volunteers (electrosensitive and control persons) and first results of the characterisation of study groups. The text is available as PDF-file in German (65 KB) Methodology A total of 231 persons were examined 130 of whom were electrohypersensitives and 101 were matched controls according to age, gender, and body mass index. The group of electrohypersensitive persons included persons from self-help groups, persons who had joined up along with the “Mainz EMF watchdog” or otherwise and persons who were also examined in another project of the German Mobile Telecommunication Research Programme (at the University of Regensburg). The first precondition for being affiliated in the group of electrosensitives was the person’s own declaration as being electrosensitive. The subjects were first questioned using a questionnaire including 54 complaints. They were asked to specify the intensity of the complaints during the last 30 days and to indicate if they could be attributed to electromagnetic fields. For affiliation in the group of electrohypersensitives individuals had to reach a certain score regarding number and intensity of complaints being attributed to electromagnetic fields. For the next step all subjects had to fill in questionnaires for self-assessment. Mainly standardised questionnaires were used to collect extensive information on mental state, complaints, and stress. All subjects were examined by an experienced physician. Sociodemographic data and, above all, an extensive medical history were acquired. Type and intensity of mental and psychiatric disorders were identified using standardised instruments. A multitude of biological/medical data was collected aiming to obtain objective data regarding the subjects’ state of health. The following parameters were examined:
Results No significant differences between electrosensitive and control persons were observed regarding level of education and family status. However, the electrosensitives were significantly less employed than the controls. More than half of the examined electrohypersensitives reported complaints for more than five days a week which were predominantly “rather heavy” to “very heavy” and which had lasted for more than five years. The impact in the sleeping room was experienced as especially problematic by most of the affected persons. Approximately 80 % of the affected persons, but approx. 20 % of the control persons as well, declared to take measures to reduce the impact from electromagnetic fields. Attempts of shielding and avoiding as well as the restricted use of possibly problematic devices were predominant among the measures. Sleeping problems, weariness, loss of energy, restlessness, and pain had high priority among the complaints. Nearly 80 % of the affected individuals are under medical treatment, approx. 12 % were already treated in a hospital. Frequently the treatment used drugs to cure the symptoms. Very often the applied therapy was alternative to conventional medicine (e. g., forced removal of heavy metals, dental sanitation, and homoeopathy). One third of the electrohypersensitive subjects, but only 4 % of the controls, claimed to suffer from chemical environmental pollution as well. Lifetime prevalence of physical impairment of various categories did not show a distinct pattern for the electrosensitive individuals. However, they reported more diseases in their history than controls. On average, electrosensitives suffered more from headaches than controls and their subjective sleeping quality was significantly worse than that of control persons. General life satisfaction of electrohypersensitives did not differ significantly from that of control subjects, however, health related quality of life was reduced, depressive mood was increased. Psychiatric co-morbidity affected part of the electrosensitive persons. However, serious acute psychiatric illnesses were excluded when recruiting individuals. The significantly higher incidence of somatoform disorders in electrosensitive individuals compared to controls was especially remarkable. The term “somatoform disorders” characterises different disorders where people suffer from physical symptoms but no or no appropriate physical cause can be found. Most frequent (38 %) was the somatoform autonomous dysfunction. Symptoms are described as if they were based upon physical illness of an organ system which is innervated vegetatively to a large extent or completely, as, e. g., the cardiovascular system or the digestive system. Clinical-chemical parameters were systematically examined that allow for statements regarding iron deficiency, hypothyroidism, liver function disorders, or chronic inflammation. Most of the parameters did not show any significant differences between electrosensitive and control persons. Clinical significance of the few statistically significant divergences is questionable since there were only relatively small group differences within normal ranges. No significant group difference existed between electrohypersensitives and controls for concentration of the metals mercury, chrome, and lead in serum. In particular no increased values for dental metals could be observed. The concentration of copper was considerably raised, that of cadmium was reduced in the group of electrosensitives, respectively. Detoxification of heavy metals (e. g. forced removal and dental sanitation) undertaken by part of the electrosensitives seemed to be ineffective, as far as it could be identified on the basis of shape and intensities of complaints requested in the interviews. Regarding liver detoxification 22 different versions of 12 genes were examined being essential for the processing of foreign substances (toxins and pharmaceuticals). The few significant differences between the group of electrosensitives and controls turned out to be insignificant after correction for multiple testing. Tests for 74 common allergens (pollen, animal allergens, food) showed that the majority of electrohypersensitive individuals did not react to any of the allergens. Moreover, the severity of symptoms was not associated with the reactivity to allergens. The comparative analysis of gene versions being relevant for the immune response did not reveal any clinically meaningful differences between electrosensitive and control persons. The same is true for HLA-typing. When evaluating the examined parameters of heart rate variability no difference between the groups of electrosensitive and control individuals could be detected. There was no indication of a considerable constraint of heart rate variability as a sign of an organic autonomic dysfunction or a maladaptation of the cardiovascular system. The final report of the project can be downloaded as pdf file (3.862 KB) in German. References
Conclusions The examination of electrohypersensitive individuals with regard to various relevant medical parameters performed within the scope of this research programme is the most comprehensive one known up to now. The study was not aiming at a clarification of the causal relationship but at an extensive description of the disease pattern and of the affected individuals. In particular it should be clarified if there actually exists an accumulation of allergies, a special sensitivity to chemicals, and/or a diminished capacity of liver detoxification which are often claimed by the affected persons. When comparing the groups some differences between electrosensitives and control persons for a few parameters could be revealed. However, these differences were within the normal ranges of the parameters and their clinical relevance is therefore questionable. In particular no changes appeared that could explain the symptoms of the affected persons. There was no evidence of a particular burden with allergies and chemicals and a diminished capacity of liver detoxification. Within the scope of an earlier research project (within the German environmental research plan - UFO plan) the researchers attempted - but did not succeed - to define a characteristic profile or cluster of complaints that could be assigned to the phenomenon „electrohypersensitivity“. Within the research project at hand no parameters could be identified which definitely characterise electrosensitive individuals. Therefore, it has to be stated that the electrohypersensitives represent a very heterogeneous group which cannot be described by a simple model. It could be shown, however, that considerably more electrosensitive individuals than controls suffer from somatoform disorders, i. e. no adequate physical cause for their symptoms can be found. However, since electromagnetic hypersensitivity is a serious health problem for some of the affected persons and since such persons are under high psychological strain, it is still necessary to search for other factors causing or maintaining the disease pattern. Moreover, preconditions for effective therapies should be developed. First indications were found within the scope of this project and the other relevant projects of the German Mobile Telecommunication Research Programme. Further research is necessary regarding the time course of electrohypersensitivity for a longer time period and possible connections to other disease patterns where environmental factors are incriminated (as, e. g., multiple chemical sensitivity). However, since there is no indication for a causal relationship to electromagnetic fields these questions are not necessarily radiation protection issues. |