While most of us are aware of what a heart rate reading means–that is, the number of beats your heart makes in a minute (a normal resting heart rate being 60-100 beats per minute). Heart rate variability is something that is not as well understood, but should be.
What is Heart Rate Variability?
Heart rate variability (HRV) is simply a time measurement (in milliseconds) of the variation between each heartbeat. HRV is the function of our autonomic nervous system. Responsible for regulating processes like our breathing, blood pressure, heart rate and therefore heart rate variability, and more. The autonomic nervous system signals to the brain when to relax our body and when to stimulate it. It is what causes our reactions based on our sleep patterns, good and bad news we receive, lack of exercise, relationships and everything else around us.
Why Measure Heart Rate Variability?
HRV can determine how normal our bodies are behaving given the situation. For example, a normal and healthy person’s HRV will increase when engaging in a relaxing activity. And decrease in a stressful situation and environment. Thus our HRV naturally fluctuates throughout the day based on the situation and emotions we are feeling.
It is important to understand heart rate variability because it can tell us when our bodies may be in a state of crisis. For example, constant life and/or work stress will disrupt our HRV which causes the body to become stuck in a stressful state even when attempting to relax. Leading to both mental and physical health problems. Measuring and tracking HRV can help us mitigate this.
How To Measure Heart Rate Variability?
HRV is measured using ECG, or Electrocardiography. A medical test that measures the electrical activity of the heart. Most medical devices that measure heart rate will also measure heart rate variability. But these devices can be bulky, costly, and confusing to use. veyetals, a wellness app developed by MarkiTech (Markitech.AI ™), in collaboration with Queen’s University Computer, Vision and AI Lab, uses a real-time health monitoring system to measure thse biomarkers and more. Within 90-95% accuracy levels using your smartphone’s camera. veyetals is easy to access, use, and track information on, making healthcare more accessible to at-risk populations without the need for costly medical devices.
About Us
Our cloud based, lightweight API allows veyetals to be integrated with the healthcare apps and platforms that matter to you most. The app is interoperable with other healthcare management systems including, but not limited to, SenSights.AI. veyetals drives information sharing with other health management solutions and further enhances the continuum of patient care.
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Credits: Harvard Health Publishing, Firstbeat
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