Cited by 423Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic ControlCardiac Health and Mental HealthNon-Invasive Vital Sign Monitoring

Heart rate variability: are you using it properly? Standardisation checklist of procedures

Open access
Catai, Aparecida Maria, Pastre, Carlos Marcelo, Godoy, Moacir Fernades de, Silva, Ester da, Takahashi, Anielle Christine de Medeiros, Vanderlei, Luiz Carlos Marques·2020·Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy

Abstract

Background Heart rate variability is used as an assessment method for cardiac autonomic modulation. Since the Task Force's publication on heart rate variability in 1996, the European Heart Rhythm Association Position Paper in 2015 and a recent publication in 2017, attention has been paid to recommendations on using heart rate variability analysis methods, as well as their applications in different physiological conditions and clinical studies. This analysis has proved to be useful as a complementary tool for clinical evaluation and to assess the effect of non-pharmacological therapeutic interventions, such as physical exercise programmes, on cardiac autonomic modulation.Objective The aim of this article is to make recommendations and to develop a checklist of normalisation procedures regarding the use of heart rate variability data collection and analysis methodology, focusing on the cardiology area and cardiac rehabilitation.Methods Based on previous heart rate variability publications, this paper provides a description of the most common shortcomings of using the analysis methods and considers recommendations and suggestions on how to minimise these occurrences by using a specific checklist.Conclusions This article includes recommendations and a checklist regarding the use of heart rate variability collection and analysis methods. This work could help improve reporting on clinical evaluation and therapeutic intervention results and consequently, disseminate heart rate variability knowledge.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.bjpt.2019.02.006

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  • RMSSD is considered one of the best indicators of cardiac parasympathetic modulation, especially useful for post-exercise evaluation.

    “Therefore, RMSSD is considered one of the best indicators of cardiac parasympathetic modulation, especially useful for post-exercise evaluation when this activity is crucial for recovery.”

    From Impact of Caffeine Intake Strategies on Heart Rate Variability during Post-Exercise Recovery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2024) · cites this paper as [32]

    The Comments/Suggestions section (page unavailable) lists RMSSD as a time-domain HRV index and discusses HRV returning to baseline after exercise in athletes and physically active people. It does not identify RMSSD specifically as one of the best indicators of cardiac parasympathetic modulation or say it is especially useful for post-exercise evaluation. (LLM, conf=0.78)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • RMSSD is more sensitive to changes in parasympathetic activity than SDNN because rapid fluctuations in RR intervals are predominantly mediated by the parasympathetic nervous system.

    “Unlike other indices like SDNN, which reflect both sympathetic and parasympathetic influences on the heart, RMSSD is more sensitive to changes in parasympathetic activity. This is because rapid fluctuations in RR intervals are predominantly mediated by the parasympathetic nervous system.”

    From Impact of Caffeine Intake Strategies on Heart Rate Variability during Post-Exercise Recovery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2024) · cites this paper as [32]

    The Comments/Suggestions section identifies RMSSD and SDNN as time-domain indices and describes high-frequency fluctuations as reflecting vagal modulation. The Poincaré plot indexes section likewise describes instantaneous beat-to-beat variability as a marker of parasympathetic modulation. Neither passage says that RMSSD is more sensitive than SDNN or specifically explains their difference in autonomic influences. Page numbers are not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The high-frequency (HF) component in HRV spectral analysis is closely related to respiratory variability and is predominantly modulated by the parasympathetic nervous system.

    “HF: The high-frequency component in HRV spectral analysis is closely related to respiratory variability (sinusoidal breathing) and is predominantly modulated by the parasympathetic nervous system.”
  • HF is more specific to parasympathetic activity than LF.

    “While indices like LF (low frequency) can be influenced by both sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, HF is more specific to parasympathetic activity.”

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [72]72. Grassberger P, Procaccia I. Characterization of strange attrac- tors. Phys Rev Lett. 1983;50(5):346---349.

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Authors
Catai, A. M., Pastre, C. M., Godoy, M. F. D., Silva, E. D., Takahashi, A. C. D. M., & Vanderlei, L. C. M.
Affiliations
  • Universidade Federal de São Carlos (BR)
  • Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) (BR)
  • Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto (BR)
Corresponding author
Catai, Aparecida Maria
Venue
Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-03
Volume
24
Issue
2
Pages
91-102
ISSN
1413-3555 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2917146357
Cited by
423
References
80
Citations by year
2026: 54 · 2025: 77 · 2024: 80 · 2023: 80 · 2022: 65 · 2021: 44 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 4
FWCI
5.98
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UNESP Institutional Repository (São Paulo State University) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (3121938/2013-2)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Health and Mental Health
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Non-Invasive Vital Sign Monitoring
Keywords
heart rate variability, cardiac autonomic modulation, heart rate variability analysis, cardiac rehabilitation, physical activity, non-pharmacological treatment, reporting recommendations
MeSH terms
Autonomic Nervous System, Cardiology, Heart Rate, Humans, Exercise, Checklist

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