Short Sessions of HRV Biofeedback

Remote Short Sessions of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback

Remote 5 minute sessions of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback will be employed by participants for 5 weeks. Subjects will be followed for a total of 17 weeks. Surveys assessing psychological well being will be completed during the study period. Wearable devices will be worn to monitor HRV response during the study period.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants were recruited from The Mount Sinai Hospital, Morningside Hospital, Mount Sinai West, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai Queens, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, and Mount Sinai Brooklyn.
• Eligible participants were 18 years of age or greater.
• Had an iPhone series 5 or greater.
• Had or were willing to wear an Apple Watch 4 or greater.
• Potential participants were excluded if they had an underlying chronic disease or used a medication that is known to impact autonomic nervous system function.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Underlying chronic diseases including but not limited to:

  • rheumatoid arthritis
  • systemic lupus erythematosus
  • inflammatory bowel disease

• Use of medications that impact heart rate variability including but not limited to:

  • beta-blockers (ie. atenolol, carvedilol, metoprolol, Coreg, Tenormin, Normodyne, Trandate)
  • digoxin
  • calcium channel blockers (ie. Norvasc, amlodipine, Cardene, nicardipine, Procardia, nifedipine, Cardizem, diltiazem)
  • regularly used benzodiazepines