Determinants for heart rate variability in a normal Korean population.

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiology

Background:

• Heart rate variability (HRV) is a key indicator of autonomic nervous system function.
• Short-term HRV measurements are increasingly used to assess physiological stress.
• Understanding normal HRV ranges and determinants is essential for accurate interpretation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish normal ranges for short-term HRV parameters in a large Korean population.
• To identify determinants influencing HRV measurements, including age and gender.
• To inform clinical and research applications of HRV for stress assessment.

Main Methods:

• Collected short-term HRV data from 2,748 healthy men and 735 healthy women (18-65 years).
• Performed time-domain (SDNN, RMSSD) and frequency-domain (TP, LF, HF, LF/HF) spectral analysis.
• Utilized quantile regression to analyze the impact of age, gender, and mean heart rate on HRV.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in SDNN, RMSSD, and HF were observed between genders, with females exhibiting higher values.
• After controlling for age, SDNN differences between genders were not statistically significant.
• Age and mean heart rate were identified as significant determinants impacting short-term HRV measurements.

Conclusions:

• Age and gender are critical determinants that must be considered in short-term HRV assessments.
• These findings provide essential reference ranges and insights for HRV interpretation in clinical and research settings.
• Accurate HRV analysis for stress evaluation necessitates accounting for individual demographic factors.