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Agreement of two different methods for measurement of heart rate variability
Martin Radespiel-Tröger1, Robert Rauh, Christine Mahlke
1Dept. of Medical Informatics, Biometry, and Epidemiology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Waldstrasse 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. radespmn@imbe.imed.uni-erlangen.de
Insights
Affordable devices show good agreement for measuring time-domain heart rate variability (HRV) parameters, enabling early detection of health issues in high-risk individuals and athletes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology and Exercise Physiology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Health Monitoring Technologies
Background:
- Widespread use of precise, affordable heart rate variability (HRV) measurement devices can facilitate early detection of health abnormalities.
- High-risk patients and athletes could benefit from accessible HRV monitoring for proactive health management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the agreement between a reference device and a more affordable option for measuring various HRV parameters.
- To determine if less expensive HRV devices are suitable for clinical screening and personal monitoring.
Main Methods:
- 36 healthy subjects (22 male, 14 female; mean age 27.4 years) participated.
- HRV parameters (heart rate, R-R interval range, SDNN, rMSSD, total Power, VLF, LF, HF power) were measured using a reference device (PowerLab) and an affordable device (Polar Transmitter/Advantage).
- Measurements were conducted during 3 minutes of metronomic respiration, analyzed using Bland-Altman methods, scatterplots, and Spearman correlation.
Main Results:
- Excellent agreement was observed for time-domain HRV parameters: heart rate, R-R interval range, rMSSD, and SDNN.
- High correlations were found for frequency-domain parameters (total Power, VLF, LF, HF power).
- Statistical analysis of method agreement for frequency-domain variables was not feasible.
Conclusions:
- The agreement for time-domain HRV metrics between the reference and affordable devices is sufficient for initial screening by healthcare providers.
- The inexpensive device is suitable for self-monitoring by high-risk patients and athletes, aiding in early detection of potential health issues.
Background:
The widespread use of affordable devices with sufficient precision for measurement of heart rate variability (HRV) might lead to early detection of abnormalities in a large number of high-risk patients and athletes. The purpose of this study was to determine the limits of agreement of two devices for measuring HRV parameters differing in price and assumed precision.
Subjects And Methods:
36 healthy subjects (22 men and 14 women) with a mean age of 27.4 (SD 11.1) years were included. The two devices used for comparison were PowerLab with Chart software as the reference golden standard, and Polar Transmitter/Advantage with Precision Performance software, respectively. Measurements included the following heart rate variability parameters: heart rate, range of R-R-interval duration, SDNN, rMSSD, total Power, VLF power, LF power, and HF power. Measurements were taken during metronomic respiration over a total period of 3 minutes. Statistical analysis was performed according to Bland and Altman and by means of scatterplots and Spearman correlation coefficients.
Results:
Good agreement was found for heart rate (95 % CI of limits of agreement: -0.7-0.6 bpm; r = 0.999), range of duration of R-R-intervals (95 % CI: -18.9-17.0 ms; r = 0.997), rMSSD (95 % CI: -1.5-2.5 ms; r = 0.999), and SDNN (95 % CI: -3.0-3.1 ms; r = 0.997). Correlation of measurements was high for the variables total Power, VLF power, LF power, and HF power. Analysis of method agreement for frequency domain variables was statistically not feasible.
Conclusion:
The level of agreement for the analyzed time domain variables between the reference golden standard and the inexpensive device is sufficient to permit initial screening by family doctors, and self-administration by high-risk patients and athletes.