Heart Rate Variability (HRV) concerns

[foxglove1]

Hi all

I thought I had written and sent this but it seems to have disappeared. if you have read already my apologies.

I am post ablation 3 months and doing well but finding that on my Apple Watch 4 (Bob I can see you raising your eyes to the heavens already!) I have a very low HRV of 13 which apparently means I am not doing well at all On the same watch it states that my cardio fitness is "high" so confusion reigns

I am very anxious at the moment, the lead up to the ablation, despite it having gone well and no afib since end off January, but this has made me worry again and wonder if I should see a cardiologist as opposed to my EP.

I value the the great advice given on this site and would appreciate it if anyone knows about this HRV.

thank you! x

[BobD Volunteer]

How you feel it much more important than what gizmos say but you knew that. Lol 😁

[foxglove1 in reply to BobD]

see I was right but I still value your opinion Bob thanks 🤣

[BobD Volunteer in reply to foxglove1]

Didn't want to disappoint you lol 😁

[mjames1]

Are you on any meds like bisoprolol? Diltiazem? They can throw off HRV significantly

[foxglove1 in reply to mjames1]

hi mjames 1

Thanks for replying

no only apixoban

[mjames1]

Could also be your heart is still healing from ablation. In any event, Apple Watch is not the most accurate with HRV. I would not be concerned.

[foxglove1 in reply to mjames1]

thanks, I did go back over pre ablation rates and all in the lower range. It’s frustrating as I’m doing all the things I should, exercise weight eating well etc

Just hearing from you and others on the forum calm me down.

[john-boy-92]

Back in the day when I was am obsessive runner / cyclist / Spin class / gym bunny, I used to monitor my HRV. That was on days when AF didn't result in an error. I recall that low HRV meant that I hadn't recovered sufficiently. Before I had a stroke, I had HRV readings that I hadn't seen before, although I didn't feel different. I used an ithlete monitor and quoting from their site:

"Heart rate variability (HRV) is a relatively new method for assessing the effects of stress on your body. It is measured as the time gap between your heart beats that varies as you breathe in and out. Research evidence increasingly links high HRV to good health and a high level of fitness, whilst decreased HRV is linked to stress, fatigue and even burnout."

HRV was originally used to detect if a baby was stressed in the womb. Therefore it's perhaps more sensitive than a normal heart rate monitor.

[foxglove1]

Thanks

that makes me even more anxious. I’m wondering if there is anything one can do to raise the HRV levels

[Bailey2004]

I noticed that my HRV on my Apple Watch was in excess of 200-300 when I was in persistent AF for 3 months but when I converted to NSR it dropped down to less than 30. I therefore like to see it in low range. Anytime I’ve had an episode since it correlates with HRV jumping up.

[foxglove1 in reply to Bailey2004]

thanks Bailey

That’s interesting and strange as well. I like to know what’s going on and thinking of seeing a cardiologist. I got the results of my recent 13 lead hospital ECG printed out. It’s very comprehensive with no mention of HRV.

[foxglove1 in reply to Bailey2004]

meant 12 lead ecg

[Gumbie_Cat in reply to Bailey2004]

Mine is like that. Last year I could use it to confirm I was in A fib, as it leapt from around 50 to over 200. Now I am stuck in A Fib and it varies from around 150 to way over 200.

I would be very relieved to see it lower!

[Bailey2004 in reply to Gumbie_Cat]

I use it now to confirm I’ve been in AF as I don’t always feel it now more so during the night. It used to wake me up but no longer does. I feel it however during the day. The other night HRV was only at 80 but when I looked into beat to beat the variation went from between 53-126 back and forth. It only lasted about 30 seconds. Assuming this was AF.

[Autumn_Leaves]

HRV as measured on an Apple Watch isn’t an accurate measurement of anything in someone who already has some kind of arrhythmia. It’s not going to be reliable in someone with a high ectopic burden either. On the occasions I’ve had AF the HRV reading for that day is all over the place. The same goes for the times when I’m in what I describe as “permanent ectopy” (which I know isn’t a thing, it’s just my own way of describing it). It’s not that sophisticated a device anyway. It’s useful, but as my consultant said, it’s more of a pulse recorder and it isn’t a genuine ECG.

[foxglove1 in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

Hi Autumn Leaves

Thank you. When you say a genuine ECG, I’ve just had one done. A proper 12 lead hospital one which I’m told by my GP is normal. Looking at it there is no mention of anything called HRV. Can it be referredto as anything else?

Hope you are doing well.

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to foxglove1]

I think RR interval might be measuring differences in time between beats, but it’s a very different measurement. I don’t know if HRV is a calculation made from that. HRV seems to be more of a thing in fitness enthusiasts, and it may well be an indication of fitness in someone with no more than a few ectopics a day at the most. All I know is when my heart beats irregularly, whether that’s been AF or frequent ectopics it tends to show a very high reading at some points in the day that coincide with these episodes. So I’d say, don’t overthink it. It’s just an algorithm after all.