Hidden Rhythms Drive Heart Rate Dynamics
University of Melbourne researchers have discovered that human heart rates follow long-term infradian rhythms, such as weekly or yearly cycles, in 70 percent of people. This study suggests the existence of a biological pacemaker that could influence health management and disease treatment.
Why it matters
Understanding these biological cycles could revolutionize how doctors treat chronic conditions like epilepsy and mental health disorders.
University of Melbourne researchers working on a large study of smartwatch data have found that the heart rates of 70 per cent of people follow weekly, quarterly or even yearly cycles.
The research, published in EBioMedicine , could have implications for how we understand our bodily functions and how we manage neurological, psychiatric and broader health conditions.
Led by Associate Professor Pip Karoly, program leader of the Rhythms in Physiology Lab (RiPL) at the Graeme Clark Institute for Biomedical Engineering, the study analysed over 900 years of smartwatch data from 623 healthy university students.
"We found that many people show unique rhythms in their heart rate from weekly and monthly cycles to longer rhythms such as 10 weeks or six months," Associate Professor Karoly said.
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