Heart Rate Variability Analysis Using Poincaré Plot of R-r Intervals

Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis attempts to assess cardiac autonomic regulation through quantification of sinus rhythm variability. The sinus rhythm times series is derived from the QRS to QRS (RR) interval sequence of the electrocardiogram (ECG), by extracting only normal sinus to normal sinus interbeat intervals. HRV refers to the beat-to-beat alterations in heart rate. HRV analysis is based on the concept that Fast fluctuations reflect the changes of sympathetic and vagal activity which results in variability of intervals between R waves i.e. “RR intervals”. In the current work HRV was assessed by traditional linear time and frequency-domain indexes, in parallel with the non linear indexes. Both linear time and frequency domain parameters, and nonlinear parameters discriminate the different levels. Poincaré plot analysis is a promising method in statistical evaluation and arrhythmia cases