Comprehensive Analysis of the effects of errors in beat-to-beat intervals on HRV parameters: New insights for Biomedical Research!

In this comprehensive study, we try to understand the impact of errors in beat-to-beat intervals on all commonly used heart rate variability (HRV) parameters. Our research provides valuable insights on the systematic bias and error sensitivity of 34 HRV parameters based on Monte Carlo Simulation on a representative population. We hope that our study will influence the choice of robust HRV parameters in bio-medical research and contribute to refining the accuracy and reliability of HRV measurements.

Key Highlights:

- Quantitative Assessment: We meticulously examined the effects of errors on various HRV parameters using simulated errors applied to real beat-to-beat interval data from over 1000 subjects over a wide age range. We rank the parameters based on sensitivity to the errors.

- Practical Implications: We argue that LF/HF ratio and pNN50 should be used with caution and provide suggestions for alternatives.

- Rigorous Methodology: We employ Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests to justify the choice of distribution. We also introduce the Bland-Altmann-Rohr-Hoog-Antink-Plot that color-codes the density of samples in error comparison.

Collaborative Effort: A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated team of researchers, especially our partners from Finland, Dr. Mika Tarvainen and Prof. Dr. Antti Vehkaoja!

Dive into the details! Access the full publication here: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50701-4