Boost Heart Health with Simple Math, Study Reveals

On Mar 29, 2025

Optimized Heart Health Monitoring with Smartwatches

Countless individuals have turned to smartwatches for a convenient way to keep an eye on their cardiovascular health. Daily steps and average heart rate are common metrics, but researchers are now suggesting a more insightful measurement. This involves a simple mathematical equation: divide your average daily heart rate by your average daily step count.

Daily Heart Rate Per Step: A New Health Indicator

The outcome of this equation is called the Daily Heart Rate Per Step (DHRPS). According to a study conducted by researchers at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, this ratio can offer valuable insights into the efficiency of the heart’s operation.

The study revealed that a high DHRPS might indicate a less efficient heart. Individuals with such readings were found more susceptible to conditions like Type II diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, stroke, coronary atherosclerosis, and myocardial infarction.

From Simple Metrics to Assessing Heart Efficiency

The lead author of the study, Zhanlin Chen, a third-year medical student at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, explained the DHRPS as a measure of inefficiency. It provides a glimpse into how the heart is performing, requiring only a minor amount of math.

Expert Insights on the DHRPS Metric

Dr. Peter Aziz, a pediatric cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, perceives DHRPS as a promising metric, providing an upgrade from the information obtained solely by calculating daily steps or average heart rate. According to him, the DHRPS measures the heart’s effort compared to the amount of work it has to do, giving a comprehensive sense of efficiency. Crucially, the research showed a correlation between DHRPS and disease.

Dr. Aziz emphasized the significance of the study’s scale, which bolsters the findings’ credibility. The research team analyzed Fitbit data from about 7,000 smartwatch users and compared it to electronic medical records.

Understanding the Value of DHRPS

Chen provided an easy-to-understand example. Two hypothetical individuals both take 10,000 steps a day. However, one has an average daily resting heart rate of 80 – within the healthy range – while the other’s heart rate averages 120. The individual with a higher heart rate would have a higher DHRPS, signaling a potential cardiac risk.

The DHRPS Metric and Disease Risk

In the research, 6,947 participants were split into three groups based on their DHRPS ratios. Those with the highest ratios demonstrated a stronger connection to disease than the others. Moreover, DHRPS proved to be better at identifying disease risk compared to step counts or heart rates individually.

Chen highlighted the cost-effectiveness of the DHRPS metric, as it utilizes data already collected. Individuals can calculate their own DHRPS and gain more control over monitoring their cardiovascular health.