Showing posts with label heart rate variability. Show all posts

Wireless | Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Children

►
Depiction of cardiovascular risk factors tested with BIOPAC’s dual-channel BioNomadix wireless ECG and Respiration transmitter
Cardiovascular risk factors (obesity, metabolism, hypertension, etc.) can significantly impact a person’s lifespan. While obesity rates are currently stagnant, they still remain very high. Cardiovascular risk factors have thus become the focus of health research to understand what behaviors might contribute to increased risk. The majority of these studies have been aimed specifically at adults, but little is understood about the origins of these risk factors in childhood. Laurie Wideman, et al thus sought to create a longitudinal study that investigated social and emotional development, called the RIGHT Track Health Study. The RIGHT track study followed participants from infancy to young adult to understand how their self-regulation and increased autonomy via their health behaviors might contribute to cardiovascular risks factors. Participants were measured at five ages: two, four, five, seven, and ten. Participants performed a variety of assessments including body composition, fitness tests, orthostatic challenge (while having heart rate variability recorded), 7-day accelerometry for physical activity and sleep, 24-hour dietary recalls, and blood analysis for various related biomarkers. Researchers also had participants complete extensive self-report measures related to diet, sleep, physical activity, and medical history. Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured using BIOPAC’s dual-channel BioNomadix wireless ECG and Respiration transmitter while participants performed the orthostatic challenge. Heart rate variability measured from the orthostatic challenge was compared to HRV collected during the early years of the study where the infants underwent psychological stressors. Through their RIGHT track health study, the researchers were able to provide valuable about the influence of childhood regulatory abilities on youth healthcare. The researchers hope that their findings will help illuminate potential critical “windows,” or specific points in childhood where people may be more at risk. Assessing when these windows occur could help greatly reduce certain risk factors and help our understanding of how to prevent chronic disease earlier in life.

Heart Rate Variability

►
What is Heart Rate Variability?
Heart rate variability studies examine alterations in the interval between heart beats. Several physiological variables can affect the normal rhythm of the heart and the interaction between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
Heart rate fluctuates based on a variety of conditions and can indicate the presence of disease or forewarn impending cardiac diseases. These indicators may always be present but sometimes may only occur occasionally at specific times throughout the day. Heart rate is monitored to assess the health of a subject or the significance of heart abnormalities. Data acquisition of this caliber can have profound advancements in the way heart conditions are understood and treatments are developed.
Monitoring heart rate variability may be time consuming and difficult without the right tools in place. 
How heart rate variability works
The base of your heart rate is located in the sinoatrial (SA) node of the heart. In this node, cells continuously generate an electrical impulse which is spread through the entire heart muscle, causing a contraction. The number of electrical impulses generated per minute is equivalent to the heart beats per minute.
The autonomic nervous system largely controls the heart rate and rhythm of the heart, and is broken down into two separate areas: the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system.
The parasympathetic nervous system affects the heart rate through the release of acetylcholine by the vagus nerve. This can impede activation of SA node activity and may also decrease HRV.
The sympathetic nervous system impacts the heart rate through a release of epinephrine and norepinephrine. This usually increases activity of the SA node and may increase HRV.

How BIOPAC fits in
When performing heart rate variability analysis, the importance of recording proper data can not be overstated.
"Results reveal that even a single heart period artifact, occurring within a 2-min recording epoch, can lead to errors of estimate heart period variability that are considerably larger than typical effect sizes in psychophysiological studies."
—Berntson & Stowell, 1998

- Copyright © Life Science Hardware and Software -Metrominimalist- Powered by Blogger - Designed by Johanes Djogan -