Cited by 15,289Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic ControlCardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmiasECG Monitoring and Analysis

Heart rate variability: Standards of measurement, physiological interpretation, and clinical use

Malik, M., Bigger, J. T., Camm, A. J., Kleiger, R. E., Malliani, A., Moss, A. J., Schwartz, P. J.·1996·European Heart Journal

Abstract

Marek Malik, J. Thomas Bigger, A. John Camm, Robert E. Kleiger, Alberto Malliani, Arthur J. Moss, Peter J. Schwartz; Heart rate variability: Standards of m

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1093/oxfordjournals.eurheartj.a014868

Cites

132 of 132 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • ECG sampling rate should be set at a minimum of 200 Hz according to the Task Force.

    “The accuracy of HRV measurements is primarily determined by the sampling rate of the data acquisition system, which should be set at a minimum of 200 Hz according to the Task Force (Malik, 1996).”

    From Heart Rate Variability and Cardiac Vagal Tone in Psychophysiological Research – Recommendations for Experiment Planning, Data Analysis, and Data Reporting (2017) · cites this paper as Malik, 1996

    The Technical requirements and recommendations section gives an optimal sampling-rate range of 250–500 Hz, not a minimum of 200 Hz, and says a lower rate of at least 100 Hz may be satisfactory with interpolation. The Recording requirements ECG signal section likewise says that even 100 Hz can suffice with proper interpolation; its reference to approximately 200 Hz concerns bandwidth, not sampling rate. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • LF absolute power when breathing frequency is lower than 9cpm reflects cardiac vagal activity.

    “Low-frequency (LF) absolute power (0.04 - 0.15 Hz, ms²) | When breathing frequency is lower than 9cpm: Cardiac vagal activity”

    From Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: A systematic review and a meta-analysis (2022) · cites this paper as Malik, 1996

    The 'Components of HRV' section (page unavailable) says LF can include vagal influences and that atropine reduces LF absolute power under controlled respiration. It does not establish that LF absolute power reflects cardiac vagal activity specifically when breathing is below 9 cycles per minute; it instead cautions that LF interpretation is controversial and absolute power is affected by changes in total power. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Single 24 h analyses do not reflect the activity of the autonomic nervous system.

    “Secondly, they do not reflect the activity of the autonomic nervous system.”

    From Heart Rate Variability and Cardiac Vagal Tone in Psychophysiological Research – Recommendations for Experiment Planning, Data Analysis, and Data Reporting (2017) · cites this paper as Malik, 1996

    The Long-term recordings section says that analysis across an entire 24-hour period obscures detailed information about autonomic modulation, and Components of HRV says a single 24-hour spectrum hides circadian LF and HF patterns. But the paper also says these analyses measure average autonomic modulations, so the categorical claim that they do not reflect autonomic nervous system activity overstates the source. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • For an unambiguous interpretation of the physiological mechanisms underlying HRV, the measurement needs to be realized without physical activity.

    “The guidelines of the Task Force (Malik, 1996) are extremely clear on this matter: for an unambiguous interpretation of the physiological mechanisms underlying HRV, the measurement needs to be realized without physical activity.”

    From Heart Rate Variability and Cardiac Vagal Tone in Psychophysiological Research – Recommendations for Experiment Planning, Data Analysis, and Data Reporting (2017) · cites this paper as Malik, 1996

    The 'Duration and circumstances of ECG recording' section recommends stationary conditions for short-term HRV recordings and says physical activity is an environmental factor to control in some study designs. It does not require all HRV measurements to be made without physical activity for unambiguous physiological interpretation; the 'Summary and recommendations' also permits 24-hour recordings. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • HF is deemed to reflect vagal tone only when breathing frequency is higher than nine cycles per minute.

    “Regarding respiratory frequency, one component that may be heavily influenced by it is vagal tone because HF is deemed to reflect vagal tone only when breathing frequency is higher than nine cycles per minute (Malik, 1996; Berntson et al., 1997).”

    From Heart Rate Variability and Cardiac Vagal Tone in Psychophysiological Research – Recommendations for Experiment Planning, Data Analysis, and Data Reporting (2017) · cites this paper as Malik, 1996

    The Summary and recommendations for interpretation of HRV components states that vagal activity is the major contributor to HF. The Technical requirements and recommendations table defines HF as 0.15–0.4 Hz; 0.15 Hz equals nine cycles per minute. The paper does not state that HF reflects vagal activity only when breathing exceeds that rate, so the claimed prerequisite is not established. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 44

  1. Sayers BM. Analysis of heart rate variability. Ergonomics 1973; 16: 17-32.
  2. Bigger JT, Fleiss JL, Steinman RC, Rolnitzky LM, KJeiger RE, Rottman JN. Frequency domain measures of heart Eur Heart J, Vol. 17, March 1996 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/17/3/354/485572 by guest on 10 August 2023 period variability and mortality after myocardial infarction. Circulation 1992; 85: 164-71.
  3. Scherer P, Ohler JP, Hirche H, Hopp H-W. Definition of a new beat-to-beat-parameter of heart rate variability (Abstr). Pacing Clin Electrophys 1993; 16: 939.
  4. Kay SM, Marple, SL. Spectrum analysis: A modem perspec- tive Proc IEEE 1981; 69: 1380-1419.
  5. Pinna GD, Maestri R, Di Cesare A, Colombo R, Minuco G. The accuracy of power-spectrum analysis of heart-rate vari- ability from annotated RR list generated by Holter systems. Physiol Meas 1994; 15: 163-79.
  6. De Boer RW, Karemaker JM, Strackee J. Comparing spectra of a series of point events, particularly for heart-rate vari- ability spectra. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 1984; 31: 384-7.
  7. Courmel Ph, Hermida JS, Wennerblom B, Leenhardt A, Maison-Blanche P, Cauchemez B. Heart rate variability in myocardial hypertrophy and heart failure, and the effects of beta-blocking therapy. A non-spectral analysis of heart rate oscillations. Eur Heart J 1991; 12: 412-22.
  8. Morfill GE, Demmel V, Schmidt G. Der plotzliche Herztod: Neue Erkenntnisse durch die Anwendung komplexer Diagno- severfahren. Bioscope 1994; 2: 11-19.
  9. Bailey JJ, Berson AS, Garson A Jr et al. Recommendations for standardization and specifications in automated electro- cardiography. Circulation 1990; 81: 730-9.
  10. Kennedy HN. Ambulatory (Holter) electrocardiography tech- nology. Clin Cardiol 1992; 10: 341-56.
  11. DiFrancesco D, Tromba C. Inhibition of the hyperpolarizmg- activated current If, induced by acetycholine in rabbit sino-atrial node myocytes. J Physiol (Lond) 1988; 405: 477- 91.
  12. DiFrancesco D, Tromba C. Muscarinic control of the hyper- polarizing activated current If in rabbit sino-atrial node myocytes. J Physiol (Lond) 1988; 405: 493-510.
  13. Irisawa H, Giles WR. Sinus and atrioventricular node cells: Cellular electrophysiology. In: Zipes DP, Jalife J, eds. Cardiac Electrophysiology: From Cell to Bedside. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders, 1990: 95-102.
  14. Trautwein W, Kameyama M. Intracellular control of calcium and potassium currents in cadiac cells. Jpn Heart J 1986; 27: 31-50.
  15. Levy MN. Sympathetic-parasympathetic interactions in the heart. Circ Res 1971; 29: 437^5.
  16. Schwartz PJ, Pagani M, Lombardi F, Malliani A, Brown AM. A cardio-cardiac sympatho-vagal reflex in the cat. Circ Res 1973; 32: 215-20.
  17. Malliani A, Lombardi F, Pagani M. Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability: a tool to explore neural regulatory mechanisms. Br Heart J 1994; 71: 1-2.
  18. Lombardi F, Sandrone G, Pempruner S et al. Heart rate variability as an index of sympathovagal interaction after myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol 1987; 60: 1239-45.
  19. Lombardi F, Sandrone G, Mortara A et al. Orcadian variation of spectral indices of heart rate variability after myocardial infarction. Am Heart J 1992; 123: 1521-9.
  20. Kitney RI, Byrne S, Edmonds ME, Watkins PJ, Roberts VC. Heart rate variability in the assessment of autonomic diabetic neuropathy. Automedica 1982; 4: 155-67.
  21. Freeman R, Saul JP, Roberts MS, Berger RD, Broadbridge C, Cohen RJ. Spectral analysis of heart rate in diabetic neuropathy. Arch Neurol 1991; 48: 185-90.
  22. Bernardi L, Ricordi L, Lazzari P, et al. Impaired circulation modulation of sympathovagal modulation of sympathovagal activity in diabetes. Circulation 1992; 86: 1443-52.
  23. Koh J, Brown TE, Beightol LA, Ha CY, Eckberg DL Human autonomic rhythms: vagal cardiac mechanisms in tetraplegjc patients. J Physiol 1994; 474: 483-95.
  24. Adamson PB, Huang MH, Vanoli E, Foreman RD, Schwartz PJ, Hull SS Jr. Unexpected interaction between y?-adrenergic blockade and heart rate variability before and after myocardial infarction: a longitudinal study in dogs at high and low risk for sudden death. Circulation 1994; 90: 976-82.
  25. Vybiral T, Glaser DH, Morris G et al. Effects of low dose scopolamine on heart rate variability in acute myocardial infarction. J Am Coll Cardiol 1993; 22: 1320-6.
  26. Hull SS Jr, Vanoli E, Adamson PB, De Ferrari GM, Foreman RD, Schwartz PJ. Do increase in markers of vagal activity imply protection from sudden death? The case of scopolamine. Circulation 1995; 91: 2516-9
  27. Zabel M, Klingenheben T, Hohnloser SH. Changes in auto- nomic tone following thrombolytic therapy for acute myo- cardial infarction: assessment by analysis of heart rate variability. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 1994; 4: 211-18.
  28. La Rovere MT, Mortara A, Sandrone G, Lombardi F. Autonomic nervous system adaptation to short-term exercise training. Chest 1992; 101: 299-303.
  29. Malik M, Camm AJ. Significant of long-term components of heart rate variability for the further prognosis after acute myocardial infarction. Cardiovasc Res 1990; 24: 793-803.
  30. Bellavere F, Balzani I, De Masi G et al. Power spectral analysis of heart rate variation improves assessment of diabetic cardiac autonomic neuropathy. Diabetes 1992; 41: 633-40.
  31. Van den Akker TJ, Koelman ASM, Hogenhuis LAH, Rompelman G. Heart rate variability and blood pressure oscillations in diabetics with autonomic neuropathy. Auto- medica 1983; 4: 201-8.
  32. Guzzetti S, Dassi S, Pecis M et al. Altered pattern of circardian neural control of heart period in mild hyperten- sion. J Hypertens 1991; 9: 831-838.
  33. Binkley PF, Haas GJ, Starling RC et al. Sustained augmen- tation of parasympathetic tone with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor in patients with congestive heart failure. J Am Coll Cardiol 1993; 21: 655-61.
  34. Huikuri HV, Linnaluoto MK, Seppanen T et al. Orcadian rhythm of heart rate variability in survivors of cardiac arrest. Am J Cardiol 1992; 70: 610-15.
  35. Myers GA, Martin GJ, Magid NM et al. Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability in sudden cardiac death: comparison to other methods. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 1986; 33: 1149-56.
  36. Martin GJ, Magid NM, Myers G et al. Heart rate variability and sudden death secondary to coronary artery disease during ambulatory ECG monitoring. Am J Cardiol 1986; 60: 86-9.
  37. Vybiral T, Glaeser DH, Goldberger AL et al. Conventional heart rate variability analysis of ambulatory electrocardio- graphic recordings fails to predict imminent ventricular fibrillation. J Am Coll Cardiol 1993; 22: 557-65.
  38. Kocovic DZ, Harada T, Shea JB, Soroff D, Friedman PL. Alterations of heart rate and of heart rate variability after radiofrequency catheter ablation of supraventricular tachy- cardia. Circulation 1993; 88: 1671-81.
  39. Lefler CT, Saul JP, Cohen RJ. Rate-related and autonomic effects on atnoventricular conduction assessed through beat- to-beat PR interval and cycle length variability. J Cardiovasc Electrophys 1994; 5: 2-15.
  40. Appel ML, Saul JP, Berger RD, Cohen RJ. Closed loop identification of cardiovascular circulatory mechanisms. Computers in Cardiology 1989. Los Alamitos: IEEE Press, 1990: 3-7.
  41. Tsuji H, Venditti FJ, Manders ES et al. Reduced heart rate variability and mortality risk in an elderly cohort: The Framingham Study. Circulation 1994; 90: 878-83.
  42. Vanoli E, Adamson PB, Lin B, Pinna GD, Lazzara R, Or WC. Heart rate variability during specific sleep stages: a comparison of healthy subjects with patients after myo- cardial infarction. Circulation 1995, 91: 1918-22.
  43. Malfatto G, Rosen TS, Steinberg SF et al. Sympathetic neural modulation of cardiac impulse initiation and repolan- zation in the newborn rat. Circ Res 1990; 66: 427-37.
  44. Bigger JT Jr, Fleiss JL, Steinman RC, Rolnitzky LM, Schneider WJ, Stein PK. RR variability in healthy, middle- age persons compared with patients with chronic coronary heart disease or recent acute myocardial infarction. Circula- tion 1995; 91: 1936-43.

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Malik, M., Bigger, J. T., Camm, A. J., Kleiger, R. E., Malliani, A., Moss, A. J., & Schwartz, P. J.
Affiliations
  • St George's Hospital (GB)
  • St George's, University of London (GB)
  • IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano (IT)
Corresponding author
Malik, M.
Venue
European Heart Journal
Published
1996-03-01
Volume
17
Issue
3
Pages
354-381
ISSN
  • 0195-668X (ISSN-L)
  • 1522-9645
OpenAlex
W2133589238
Cited by
15,289
References
132
Citations by year
2026: 264 · 2025: 379 · 2024: 405 · 2023: 419 · 2022: 541 · 2021: 793 · 2020: 820 · 2019: 843 · 2018: 820 · 2017: 787 · 2016: 818 · 2015: 808 · 2014: 863 · 2013: 834 · 2012: 732
FWCI
101.60
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
European Heart Journal (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › ECG Monitoring and Analysis
Keywords
heart rate variability, measurement standards, physiological interpretation, clinical application, autonomic nervous system, cardiac autonomic function

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review