Does my heart rate variability (HRV) tell me anything about my health?
A higher HRV is associated with better health and greater resilience. Slow breathing is the most accessible and best-supported way to work on this yourself.
HRV measures how much the time between successive heartbeats varies. That is not random noise: it shows how flexibly your nervous system handles stress. A higher HRV is associated with better health, but you cannot draw any cause-and-effect conclusions from it.
Research involving 271 hospitalised covid-19 patients found that a higher HRV at admission was linked to a greater chance of survival in patients aged 70 and older. In younger patients that link was not present. This is an association, not proof of cause and effect.
Want to influence your HRV? Slow breathing is the best-supported approach. Many studies combined, drawing on 223 studies, show that it raises HRV, both immediately and over the longer term. It costs nothing and has virtually no side effects.
HRV biofeedback, in which you learn to consciously steer your heart rhythm using a small device, shows small to moderate positive effects on anxiety, depression and athletic performance. This emerges from 58 studies. Researchers regard it as a complement to existing care, not a replacement.
A smaller study involving 76 people compared five weeks of biofeedback, meditation and exercise: all three reduced stress and sleep problems, with no clear difference between them. Music also has an effect on your nervous system, but the studies are of too low a quality to recommend it seriously.
The claims are based on one large combined analysis of slow breathing (223 studies), one combined analysis of HRV biofeedback (58 studies in people), one study with 76 people, one study looking back at records of 271 covid-19 patients, one review on music and one review article on HRV as a health signal. Most associations reflect correlation; for slow breathing there is stronger evidence that it is a direct cause.
What does my blood pressure say about my long-term health?
A structurally high or strongly fluctuating blood pressure substantially increases your risk of stroke, heart attack and premature death. Small adjustments such as eating less salt and measuring regularly make a demonstrable difference.
What does my CRP value (inflammation) say about my heart?
A high hsCRP value points to chronic inflammation and predicts a clearly elevated long-term risk of cardiovascular problems, even more strongly than well-known cholesterol values. It is an independent risk factor that deserves serious attention.
Does your resting heart rate say anything about how fast you are ageing?
A structurally high resting heart rate, certainly above 80 to 90 beats per minute, is associated with a clearly higher risk of premature death. Exercising to lower your resting heart rate is worthwhile, but a very low heart rate at an older age is not always a good sign: if in doubt, discuss it with your doctor.
What your resting heart rate says about your life expectancy
A higher resting heart rate is clearly and consistently linked to a higher risk of premature death, even after taking other risk factors into account. If your resting heart rate is regularly above 80, talk to your doctor about it, especially if you also have high blood pressure.
How reliable are the heart rate scores from your wearable?
A good wearable measures resting heart rate reliably, but HRV scores and readiness are less accurate than they appear. Use them as a signal over the longer term, not as a hard daily diagnosis.
How healthy are my blood vessels / what is my vascular age?
For a first impression of your vascular health, an ApoB blood test is the simplest and most accessible step; a CAC scan adds the most value when your risk remains unclear after blood testing.