In this episode of This Week in HRV, Matt Bennett explores five recent studies that deepen our understanding of heart rate variability across time, technology, cardiovascular health, brain aging, and addiction recovery. Together, these papers highlight both the strengths and limitations of HRV as a window into nervous system regulation.

Authors: Krzysztof, Adam G.
Journal: Applied Sciences

This study demonstrates that ultra-low-frequency HRV is not a single physiological process, but can be decomposed into two independent components reflecting circadian and ultradian rhythms. The findings expand our understanding of long-term autonomic regulation and biological timing.

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/16/1/426

Authors: Sofia, Jaime D., Arie, Balewgizie, Harriëtte, Rozemarijn, Rudi, Ronald, Peter Paul
Journal: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease

Using a long-term longitudinal design, this study examined whether midlife HRV predicts later cognitive performance, brain imaging findings, or Alzheimer’s biomarkers. Results suggest HRV alone is not a reliable early predictor of neurodegenerative pathology.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13872877251409343

Authors: Yuna, Natasha, Aarti, Varun, Matthew S.
Conference Proceedings: ACM (UbiComp)

This engineering study shows that preprocessing choices—particularly band-pass filtering—strongly influence the accuracy of pulse-rate variability derived from wearable PPG sensors. The authors demonstrate that adaptive preprocessing significantly improves HRV estimation accuracy.

https://dl.acm.org/doi/epdf/10.1145/3714394.3756241

Authors: Fengping, Hui, Tianfeng, Chen
Journal: Scientific Reports

This clinical study links abnormal nighttime blood pressure patterns with reduced HRV and a markedly higher prevalence of hypertensive retinopathy. The findings highlight the relationship between circadian autonomic regulation and microvascular health.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-29694-9

Authors: Suddala, Hemant, Bharath, Jayant, Ravindra P., Nishitha, Venkata Lakshmi, Urvakhsh Meherwan, Shivarama, Ganesan, Prabhat, Bangalore Nanjundiah, Kevin P., Matcheri, Pratima
Journal: JAMA Psychiatry

This randomized clinical trial shows that adding yoga to standard opioid detoxification significantly accelerates withdrawal recovery, improves HRV, reduces anxiety, improves sleep, and decreases pain—demonstrating the role of autonomic regulation in addiction recovery.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2843424

This episode of This Week in HRV is sponsored by Optimal HRV, supporting clinicians and organizations with evidence-based tools for nervous system regulation, HRV monitoring, and biofeedback-informed care.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding diagnosis or treatment decisions.