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Heart Rate Variability as a Potential Non-invasive Marker of Blood Glucose Level

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Abstract

Currently, monitoring of blood glucose level (BGL) is constrained by the invasive nature of BGL measures. We investigated heart rate variability (HRV) parameters as potential non-invasive markers of BGL. Healthy volunteers (n = 25; aged 27 ± 9 years) uninhibited by regular medications or chronic illness were recruited for this study. BGL and HRV were assessed during fasting (9:00 am), postprandial (12:00 pm), and postabsorptive (3:00 pm) periods using self-monitoring of blood glucose techniques and ten-minute electrocardiogram, respectively. Frequency-domain HRV measures, which estimate contributions of sympathetic and parasympathetic systems to autonomic modulation of the heart, were correlated against BGL data with the following significant (p < 0.05) findings. The change in BGL from fasting to postprandial levels was negatively correlated with fasting low frequency (LF) power and total power (TP). Postprandial BGL was negatively associated with fasting LF and TP, as well as with postprandial LF, high frequency (HF), and TP. The change in BGL from postprandial to postabsorptive levels was positively correlated with fasting LF power, as well as with postprandial LF, HF, and TP. Frequency-domain HRV parameters may be useful in predicting the magnitude and direction of acute fluctuations in BGL, and further research could develop them as non-invasive markers of BGL.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to acknowledge the Neuroscience Research Unit of the University of Technology Sydney for providing the equipment and facilities necessary to complete this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroscience Research Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, New South Wales, Australia

    L. R. Jarman, J. L. Elliott & S. Lal

  2. Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States

    T. Lees

  3. Kolling Institute of Medical Research, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia

    R. Clifton-Bligh

  4. Centre for Health Technologies, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, New South Wales, Australia

    A. M. Simpson, N. Nassif & S. Lal

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  1. L. R. Jarman
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Contributions

Conceptualization, Roderick Clifton-Bligh, Ann M Simpson, Najah Nassif and Sara Lal; Data curation, Ty Lees; Formal analysis, Jaymen L Elliott; Investigation, Luke R Jarman; Methodology, Luke R Jarman, Jaymen L Elliott and Sara Lal; Resources, Ty Lees; Supervision, Roderick Clifton-Bligh, Ann M Simpson, Najah Nassif and Sara Lal; Writing—original draft, Luke R Jarman; Writing—review & editing, Ty Lees, Jaymen Elliott, Roderick Clifton-Bligh, Ann M Simpson, Najah Nassif and Sara Lal.

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Correspondence to S. Lal.

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Jarman, L.R., Elliott, J.L., Lees, T. et al. Heart Rate Variability as a Potential Non-invasive Marker of Blood Glucose Level. Hum Physiol 47, 209–218 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119721020031

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