Feasibility Considerations of 24-Hour Heart Rate Variability as a Wellness-Focused Biomarker

The purposes of this study were to (1) evaluate heart rate variability (HRV) monitoring for assessing morning, mid-day, evening, and sleep sample periods; (2) assess study-related procedures, personnel, and physical resources available at our institution; (3) identify potential problems and solutions associated with the use of 24-hour HRV at our institution.

Six participants were fitted with 24-hour HRV recording devices (DMS myPatch-sl) and evaluated under 3 conditions; normal-daily-activity, treadmill-walking, and paced-deep-breathing. In addition, each participant maintained a written event-diary during the evaluation period. Tachograms for sample time periods were reported with representative Fast Fourier Transform Power Analyses.

We found that proper ECG electrode patch placement on study participants required specific training and written instructions. The DMS Holter monitor provided good-quality data over the 24-hour period without interfering with normal daily activities. However, there was data loss for 1 hour immediately following exposure of the device to water while showering. Also, there was a need to stabilize the V5 electrode wire to minimize disconnections during sleep. Participant diaries varied considerably in useful information content.

The findings for the 6 participants in this study support the feasibility of and inform applying 24-hour HRV assessment in research studies at our institution.