The effect of heart rate variability on the human body
Factors affecting heart rate variability
Physiological factors. The physiological factors that affect heart rate and HRV include age, gender, and circadian rhythm. HRV must be considered in short-term measurements ranging from a few minutes to a few hours. When sleeping, HRV significantly increases and decreases within a few hours before the wearer wakes up.
The most important influence of heart rate variability on the human body is the heart. Studies have found that people with relatively low HRV are prone to certain diseases, especially heart diseases. For HRV changes, we can use smart watches to monitor.
disease. Many studies have examined the impact of various diseases on HRV. Studies have found that compared with healthy people, people with certain diseases have lower HRV. Some of these diseases include:
· heart disease
· Lung disease
· Kidney disease (chronic renal insufficiency)
· Mental illness (anxiety disorder, panic attack, post-traumatic stress disorder, epilepsy, anorexia, borderline personality disorder and depression)
Diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis do not cause significant changes in a person's HRV. People who maintain an active lifestyle and a high level of physical fitness can increase basic parasympathetic nerve activity, thereby increasing HRV. However, strenuous exercise, competition, and overtraining syndrome can reduce heart rate variability. Men and women who drink regularly can lower HRV.
External factor. Several external factors that can affect heart rate variability include:
· Due to the physiological response of the nervous system, climatic factors lead to changes in HRV. Heat increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, thereby reducing HRV. However, exposure to cold does not affect HRV.
· Exposure to noise causes a decrease in HRV because it increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.
· Due to the activation of the physiological sympathetic nervous system, the induced pain leads to a decrease in HRV.
We can control and avoid many external factors that affect HRV. For example, all of the above-mentioned external factors that reduce HRV and affect human health can all be circumvented. HRV is a kind, it is more difficult to monitor, but it is very important to human health. Therefore, for the health of HRV data, we should spend a little more time on it.
How to check your heart rate variability
· Electrocardiogram. A special wire is connected to your chest to monitor your HRV. Using electrocardiogram (ECG) to monitor HRV is troublesome. Because the ECG can only be done in the hospital, and the cost is relatively high. This has formed a threshold that makes people have to give up or reduce their care for HRV.
· Application and watch system. Over the years, many companies have launched smart watches that can help you check HRV applications and heart rate. The monitoring of HRV by smart watches has reached the level of traditional medical equipment. For example, manufacturers on the market, such as Huawei, Apple, Samsung, OPPO, Xiaomi, Huami, Veepoo, etc., have developed the HRV function to the extreme and put it into use on their products, especially the newly developed product Watch RIG of Veepoo. The signal sampling frequency can reach 512HZ. And in 2021, OnePlus and Meizu also joined the smart watch market. When using Watch RIG for HRV monitoring, it only takes 30 seconds to get the result. Now the standard of HRV monitoring has reached the medical level. In the future, the application of HRV in smart watches will be more accurate.
· Chest strap heart monitor. If you want to get the most accurate HRV reading outside of the ECG, this is a relatively good method.
