Heart rate variability over the decades: a scoping review

Heart rate variability (HRV) measures the variation in the time interval between successive heartbeats, reflecting the influence of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) on heart rate (HR) changes. This review provides an extensive overview of HRV measurement techniques, their applications, and their l...

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Main Authors: Amina Sundas, Ivan Contreras, Judith Navarro-Otano, Júlia Soler, Aleix Beneyto, Josep Vehi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PeerJ Inc. 2025-04-01
Series:PeerJ
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Online Access:https://peerj.com/articles/19347.pdf
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author Amina Sundas
Ivan Contreras
Judith Navarro-Otano
Júlia Soler
Aleix Beneyto
Josep Vehi
author_facet Amina Sundas
Ivan Contreras
Judith Navarro-Otano
Júlia Soler
Aleix Beneyto
Josep Vehi
author_sort Amina Sundas
collection DOAJ
description Heart rate variability (HRV) measures the variation in the time interval between successive heartbeats, reflecting the influence of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) on heart rate (HR) changes. This review provides an extensive overview of HRV measurement techniques, their applications, and their limitations in healthcare, exploring their potential for prognosis and condition assessment. A scoping review was conducted, gathering literature reviews on HRV spanning the past fifty years using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Our findings identified significant research gaps, including contradictions in the literature and the absence of standardized protocols for HRV measurements, which complicate the establishment of consistent baseline values. Additionally, the lack of protocols for pulse rate variability (PRV) in the context of advanced sensor technology hinders progress in HRV research. Despite these challenges, HRV remains significant in assessing cardiac autonomic function and its potential clinical applications. However, barriers such as device unfamiliarity, data accuracy concerns, and a lack of clinical trials limit its adoption. Further research is required to elucidate the relationship between abnormal HRV and health problems and to establish consistent baseline values for advancing HRV applications.
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spelling doaj-art-10deafa4a0ad406cae9d4c7cdbe665e52025-08-20T02:13:30ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592025-04-0113e1934710.7717/peerj.19347Heart rate variability over the decades: a scoping reviewAmina Sundas0Ivan Contreras1Judith Navarro-Otano2Júlia Soler3Aleix Beneyto4Josep Vehi5Modeling Intelligent Control Engineering Laboratory, Institut d’Informatica i Aplicacions, Universitat de Girona, Spain, Girona, SpainModeling Intelligent Control Engineering Laboratory, Institut d’Informatica i Aplicacions, Universitat de Girona, Spain, Girona, SpainNeurology Service, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain, Barcelona, SpainModeling Intelligent Control Engineering Laboratory, Institut d’Informatica i Aplicacions, Universitat de Girona, Spain, Girona, SpainModeling Intelligent Control Engineering Laboratory, Institut d’Informatica i Aplicacions, Universitat de Girona, Spain, Girona, SpainModeling Intelligent Control Engineering Laboratory, Institut d’Informatica i Aplicacions, Universitat de Girona, Spain, Girona, SpainHeart rate variability (HRV) measures the variation in the time interval between successive heartbeats, reflecting the influence of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) on heart rate (HR) changes. This review provides an extensive overview of HRV measurement techniques, their applications, and their limitations in healthcare, exploring their potential for prognosis and condition assessment. A scoping review was conducted, gathering literature reviews on HRV spanning the past fifty years using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Our findings identified significant research gaps, including contradictions in the literature and the absence of standardized protocols for HRV measurements, which complicate the establishment of consistent baseline values. Additionally, the lack of protocols for pulse rate variability (PRV) in the context of advanced sensor technology hinders progress in HRV research. Despite these challenges, HRV remains significant in assessing cardiac autonomic function and its potential clinical applications. However, barriers such as device unfamiliarity, data accuracy concerns, and a lack of clinical trials limit its adoption. Further research is required to elucidate the relationship between abnormal HRV and health problems and to establish consistent baseline values for advancing HRV applications.https://peerj.com/articles/19347.pdfHeart rate variabilityAutonomic nervous systemWearable devicesElectrocardiogramPhotoplethysmographyPPG
spellingShingle Amina Sundas
Ivan Contreras
Judith Navarro-Otano
Júlia Soler
Aleix Beneyto
Josep Vehi
Heart rate variability over the decades: a scoping review
PeerJ
Heart rate variability
Autonomic nervous system
Wearable devices
Electrocardiogram
Photoplethysmography
PPG
title Heart rate variability over the decades: a scoping review
title_full Heart rate variability over the decades: a scoping review
title_fullStr Heart rate variability over the decades: a scoping review
title_full_unstemmed Heart rate variability over the decades: a scoping review
title_short Heart rate variability over the decades: a scoping review
title_sort heart rate variability over the decades a scoping review
topic Heart rate variability
Autonomic nervous system
Wearable devices
Electrocardiogram
Photoplethysmography
PPG
url https://peerj.com/articles/19347.pdf
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AT aleixbeneyto heartratevariabilityoverthedecadesascopingreview
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