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Calls to sign infant formula testing bill into law in New York
The measure passed the state Legislature this past session. It’s now up to Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign into law.
Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition to host recovery fair at IX Park
The Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition is hosting its recovery fair Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Pa. approves steep rate hikes for 2027 Pennie health insurance plans
Pennsylvanians who buy health insurance on the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace — called Pennie — are set to see another year of sharp rate hikes as state regulators approved double-digit increases for 2027. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department, responsible for analyzing and approving rate proposals by insurance companies, announced that
Knicks’ path to a repeat runs straight through Cleveland
The Knicks will not get to ease into the part of the schedule that matters. The NBA has them visiting […]
Celtic should accelerate Liverpool approach after source's reveal
Andoni Iraola on pitch with Michael Nicholson in stands left inset
Russians have a pragmatic approach to politics
Letter: There has never been a real rebellion for the Kremlin to squelch, writes Mergen Mongush
GOP senator calls for Judiciary Committee to subpoena Donald Trump Jr., Hunter Biden
Phillies' Brandon Marsh Has Entered Unfathomable Territory
PFF Report Cards: LSU vs Ole Miss
PFF grades are out for LSU vs Ole Miss and some of the grades are pretty surprising
Durable Business Strengths Underpin Vontier Corp’s (VNT) Long-Term Growth Outlook
The London Company, an investment management company, released its second-quarter 2026 investor letter for its “Small Cap Strategy.” U.S. equities rebounded in the quarter, driven by AI infrastructure spending and positive earnings. The letter can be downloaded here. Despite this optimism, rate outlook uncertainty persisted. Technology, previously weak, surged to lead the market, especially in semiconductors, […]
Utica Children's Museum Will Offer Free Activities for 'Worldwide Day of Play' September 26
Families can enjoy a day of free activities and creative fun at the Utica Children’s Museum during the "Worldwide Day of Play" celebration.
Ramp launches Ramp Accounts Receivable to help businesses get paid faster
/PRNewswire/ -- Ramp today announced Ramp Accounts Receivable, a new product to make it easier and faster for businesses to go from making a sale to getting...
WPBL Update: Firebells going for the championship tonight
The Firebells play Game 5 of the WPBL Championship Series tonight. Will they be the league’s very first champions?
🚨 Breaking: Fede Valverde suffers a serious sprain
Real Madrid have announced Fede Valverde’s injury following the tests carried out. The Uruguayan was injured by Kang-in Lee during the derby against Atlético de Madrid and, despite playing through ...
Saudi Arabia restarts East-West oil pipeline, to resume exports from Yanbu, sources say
Saudi Arabia has restarted operations at its East-West Pipeline and could resume exports from the Red Sea port of Yanbu later on Tuesday, three sources briefed on the matter said.
Cade Smith takes consistent, disciplined approach to mound for Guardians
Closer Cade Smith continues to take a consistent and disciplined approach to the mound for the first-place Cleveland Guardians.
Minor League Season Comes to an End For Marlins Affiliates
From championship glory in Jupiter to historic base-stealing in Pensacola, witness how top prospects like Brandon Compton and Echedry Vargas fueled a dynamic year across the farm system.
907 Sports: High school football playoffs draw closer
On this episode of 907 Sports, Charlie Fellows dives into Week 6 high school action from across the state, as the playoffs are just two weeks away. Plus, Jordan Rodenberger joins the show to talk NFL Week 2!
5 Disadvantages Of Cooking On An Induction Stovetop
Disadvantages of cooking on an induction stovetop include lack of a physical flame, high upfront costs, and accidental damage to the glass surface.
Pat Boone calls out ‘friend’ Donald Trump for ‘schoolboy’ conduct: ‘Try being quiet’
The conservative entertainer has expressed concern for Trump and recommends he model himself after Ronald Reagan.
Red Wings’ Kienan Draper Drops Gloves With Luke Tuch
Red Wings prospect Kienan Draper dropped the gloves with Blue Jackets forward Luke Tuch and took him down during Monday’s preseason game.
Oil rises slightly ahead of potential US-Iran talks
Oil prices gained on Tuesday as the market steadied after several days of declines, with investors awaiting developments on potential US-Iran talks at the United Nations General Assembly this week.
Puka Nacua will not play in Week 2
Rams WR Puka Nacua will not play in Week 2 because of hip injury
Repeated flooding has Washington County business considering a move
Being run over by pitch roller was 'terrifying'
Townsend says he was lucky to only escape from under the roller with a few "bumps and bruises".
Washington County business says repeated flooding is forcing them to consider moving
11 RB Leipzig Players Head Away On International Duty
From Maarten Vandevoordt’s Belgian call-up to Ezechiel Banzuzi’s allegiance switch for DR Congo, stars across Europe and Africa prepare for crucial qualifiers and Nations League clashes this week.
Michael Penix Jr. will start for Falcons on Thursday night
$17M in grants to fund Kentucky mental health, addiction services
Kentucky is set to receive nearly $17 million in federal funding to strengthen mental health and addiction services across the state, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Monday.
As China and U.S. compete for AI dominance, both have shared concerns over safety
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to meet this week to discuss artificial intelligence.
Sofia Verrini moves to Cesena
MILANO - FC Internazionale Milano can announce that Sofia Verrini has left the club on loan: the 2008-born defender moves to Cesena on loan until 30 June 2027.At the same time, Sofia has extended her ...
Former Fox News producer found dead at 36 in Florida
Following her time at Fox News, she hosted her own podcast where she interviewed public figures about how they achieved their success.
Gov. Beshear administration secures $17M in funding for mental health services
The Beshear administration announced the securing of millions in grant funding for mental health and addiction support.
I Asked About The Real-Life Inspirations Behind New Horror Movie 'Slanted': 'Very Cathartic'
YT Industries Announces Official US Relaunch Following Restructuring
Riders in the US can now shop the full YT MTB lineup.
Akron City, Leviathan owners acquire 28-team amateur soccer league
The new owners plan to add teams and markets while creating new opportunities for players, coaches, clubs and sports business professionals.
Halle Berry Reveals Her Private Connection With Zendaya
Zendaya needs no introduction thanks to Spider-Man, as she has become a global star. Talking about Halle Berry, she has also been part of the superhero universe in two films. However, very few people ...
Lower blood pressure may boost brain health, UT Health study finds
Researchers found that even a small drop in blood pressure can slow a brain disease that is a major cause of strokes, cognitive decline and dementia.
How is Scotland squad shaping up for Pocognoli debut?
Sebastien Pocognoli's faces his first test as Scotland head coach against Slovenia on Saturday, but how is his squad shaping up for his debut?
Lubbock Public Health Director gets statewide award for vaccine advocacy
Lubbock's public health director was honored for her leadership during the historic West Texas measles outbreak and her continuing work to protect communities from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Michigan State football in need of a health check as Big Ten play hits
As Pat Fitzgerald starts his quest to return Michigan State football to the top of the Big Ten, the Spartans enter with some health questions.
What do you make of Man Utd?
We asked for your thoughts on Manchester United women's start to the season and here's your chance to get involved.
Tyler Warren reels in a short touchdown in KC
Tyler Warren managed just 21 yards in Week 2 but did score a touchdown for the second week in a row.
Jack Perkins' Adjustments By the Numbers
A's right-hander Jack Perkins is thriving as the season winds down. After talking with him about his approach to the final month early in September, we take a look at how that approach has worked by the numbers.
Lili Reinhart On The Love Hypothesis Book To Screen Changes: "You Can't Put Every Single Thing In"
The Love Hypothesis movie makes changes from Ali Hazelwood's book. Lili Reinhart breaks down what made the cut, what didn't, and if she feels pressure.
I-dle's Soyeon tops Korean music charts with 'I'm Gonna Toesa'
The i-dle leader’s solo track 'I’m Gonna Toesa' has struck a chord with listeners and reached No. 1 across major Korean music charts.
‘Resident Evil’ scares up franchise-best $60 million premiere, pushing horror to new box office record
This year’s slate of horror films have put 2026 in contention for the highest grossing box office year in the genre’s history following the $60 million franchise-best open for Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil.’
Tugboat shines
Swept in LA — despite Matt Wilkinson’s best efforts
Biggest Takeaways From UCF's Offensive Attack in Week 2
A revitalized ground game and Duke Watson’s explosive playmaking fueled the Knights' bounce-back win, securing the temporary starting job for Keyone Jenkins ahead of a tough Big 12 opener.
Jays Win On A Bullpen Day
Jays 7 Rangers 2 Bullpen days seem dependent on how the ‘bulk guy’ does. Someone has to do more than a inning, they aren’t going to run 9 guys out there, doing an inning each. Long men tend to (how to put it politely?) not be the best arms. If they were good, they would […]
JoAnna Garcia Swisher Thanks ‘Sweet Magnolias’ Team For Giving Her “Somewhere To Belong”
As Sweet Magnolias comes to an end, JoAnna Garcia Swisher is grateful for all the friends and fans she made in Serenity, South Carolina. On Sunday, the actress reflected on the “really beautiful chapt...
GOP Rep. Salazar says she spoke with Trump and he is ‘very receptive’ to her warning about Hispanic voters
GOP Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar Sunday said that President Donald Trump was “very receptive” to her warning that Hispanic voters feel “betrayed” by his immigration agenda ahead of the midterm elections.
Week 2 inactives for 49ers
San Francisco announces five inactives ahead of Week 2
Chad Gilbert, New Found Glory’s Founding Guitarist, Dead at 45
Longtime member of Florida pop-punk group revealed in March that he was battling brain cancer
More Bad News as Celtic Player Pictured in Protective Boot
There is more bad news for Celtic, following another defeat against the Rangers, as one player was pictured in a protective boot on Sunday.
Grading Iowa Football's Win Over Northern Iowa
The Hawkeyes were dominant in every phase of the game, but how does that translate to a letter grade? We've got the answer here.
Wicked STEM 2026
Three-year-old Logan Goulet seems a amazed as he watches a ball float on air while attending the Wicked STEM Expo on Saturday at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester.
Octavia Spencer's 'Ride or Die' Canceled After 1 Season, But Revival Options Exist
James Trafford's free-kick flashback and Crystal Palace assessment
James Trafford had a brief flashback to a previous Yéremy Pino free-kick as the Crystal Palace man shaped to shoot in the second half of Sunday's 0-0 draw.Pino found the net against Trafford's former...
'Something called esophagitis': Kim Kardashian shares health diagnosis in TV show trailer
Kim Kardashian is opening up about a recent health diagnosis in the upcoming season of the show, "The Kardashians."
'Something called esophagitis': Kim Kardashian shares health diagnosis in TV show trailer
Kim Kardashian is opening up about a recent health diagnosis in the upcoming season of the show, "The Kardashians."
'Something called esophagitis': Kim Kardashian shares health diagnosis in TV show trailer
Kim Kardashian is opening up about a recent health diagnosis in the upcoming season of the show, "The Kardashians."
'Something called esophagitis': Kim Kardashian shares health diagnosis in TV show trailer
Kim Kardashian is opening up about a recent health diagnosis in the upcoming season of the show, "The Kardashians."
'Something called esophagitis': Kim Kardashian shares health diagnosis in TV show trailer
Kim Kardashian is opening up about a recent health diagnosis in the upcoming season of the show, "The Kardashians."
Trump says his planned arch would become a 'military complex' able to host drones and snipers
Trump has also been calling the new White House ballroom a “military complex” and arguing it is necessary for national security purposes.
Sunday Patriots Notes: Defense keeps searching for takeaways
Notes and thoughts on the Patriots defense, the home opener blues, Mike Smith’s connection with Aaron Rodgers, and more.
Ed Sheeran Clarifies Gaza Stance, Again Blames Venues for Kicking Macklemore Off Tour
Sheeran called what’s happening in Gaza “catastrophic, unjustifiable, and disproportionate” but did not take responsibility for the rapper being removed from the show
Aidan O’Connell ruled out for personal reasons
The Las Vegas Raiders will be without Aidan O’Connell because of personal reasons on Sunday
Watch the Tense New Trailer for Ben Affleck's Netflix Thriller 'Animals'
Ben Affleck wrote and directed the movie, a thriller about the son of an L.A. mayoral candidate being kidnapped.
Dolly Parton Once Summed Up The Beauty Of Aging In A Single Sentence
What were Giants fans’ favorite highlights of the week?
Another week of Giants baseball comes to a close today. What were Giants fans’ favorite highlights of the week?
Cardinals vs. Seahawks: Arizona offense facing tremendous Seattle defense
Seattle's defense is great. Can the Cardinals hang?
Chaos rules as France snatch win in final minutes
By LISA THOMAS France...............29pts Tries: Grando 39, Boulard 43, Bourdon Sansus 55, Riffonneau 68, Feleu 74 Conversions: Arbez 44, Queyroi 68 Australia ..........26pts Tries: Merlo 19, Naden 25, Halse 28, Duck 49 Conversions: Wood 19, 29, 50 FRANCE produced a remarkable late comeback to beat Australia by three points despite collecting five cards and at […] The post Chaos rules as France snatch win in final minutes appeared first on The Rugby Paper .
Two Burning Questions Ahead of Orlando Magic Media Day
There is a lot of curiosity surrounding the 2026-27 Orlando Magic.
Annual rally at Boston Common draws thousands of marijuana advocates ahead of historic repeal vote
This year’s event billed itself as the “first overtly political” Freedom Rally since recreational marijuana was legalized across the state in 2016.
Rams rule out Kam Kinchens with hamstring injury
The Rams are down at least one more starter for MNF
EWU Coach Praises Washington Football Star QB's Dual-Threat Ability
Eastern Washington football coach Aaron Best admitted this week when it comes to containing quarterback Demond Williams Jr., there isn't a plan.
Arsenal taught ‘big lesson’ by rampant Brighton
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said that his side were taught a “big lesson” by Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday. The Seagulls obliterated the Gunners’ perfect start to the Premier League campaig...
Iconic 40-year-old beer brand closing down its beloved brewery
One of the first brewpubs to open in the U.S.
Wisconsin football vs. Eastern Michigan: Live updates, stats, score
The Wisconsin Badgers non-conference schedule comes to an end in Week 3 against Eastern Michigan.
Everything That Must Happen for Rangers to Make the Playoffs
As the Chicago White Sox stumble, the surging Texas Rangers must maintain their winning streak during this high-stakes eight-game final stretch.
The Big Holes in Wearable Heart Rate Variability And Readiness Scores
On September 9th, Apple announced it was revamping its Apple Watch Health Sensing System, rolling out a Readiness score (0 to 10), and increasing the frequency of heart rate variability (HRV) outputs 24-fold. This can be viewed as upping its competition with various other consumer wearable sensors. These “readiness scores” as a composite of multiple metrics, with heart rate variability (HRV) being front and center for most. The majority of Americans are now using wearable sensors, which equates to well over 100 million adults. HRV and Readiness scores are increasingly being marketed as a measurement of autonomic nervous system health, a digital marker for future disease, a clock for biological age, and a holistic metric to promote healthspan and even longevity. (Apple also introduced a new longevity tab and “Health Age”.) None of this has been proven. In this edition of Ground Truths I am going to review what we know about heart rate variability and readiness scores. Heart Rate Variability HRV is the variation in normal heart cycle timing. The variability of the heart rate, the barely perceptible millisecond changes in time between consecutive heart beats (see R-R intervals in the Figure below, left panel), is due to interplay between the sympathetic and parasympathetic (vagal nerve) inputs. Distinct from heart rate, individuals with the same heart rate can have very different HRVs. It is a rough reflection of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, inadequate to say whether a person’s ANS function is abnormal. For more than three decades, heart rate variability (HRV) has been measured and several studies have found an association of low HRV and clinical outcomes, particularly a link with higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. There have also been less well established links of low HRV to risk of early cognitive impairment, dementia, mental illness, Type 2 diabetes and substance abuse. An important reminder is that HRV is a surrogate marker without any established cause-and-effect relationship. If you increase your HRV, that doesn’t mean it will improve health outcomes. In fact, there is no hard evidence for that. All that work linking to health outcomes was done with electrocardiogram (ECG) derived HRV. Now, in the era of consumer wearables, this is getting assessed differently, by optical pulse (yes, the lights you see) plethysmography (PPG) or what is called pulse rate variability (PRV). They are not the same, as shown below (right panel) and only concordant when the delay between the ECG and pulse is kept constant, which basically means at rest. I should mention there’s also what I will call MPV, a mattress mechanical movement sensor, a derived heart rate variability, that companies like Eight Sleep use, even further away from directly measuring HRV. HRV has not one uniform measurement but many different types of quantification, such as RMSSD, the magnitude of difference between successive R-R intervals of normal sinus beats (N-N) or SDNN, the standard deviation of NN intervals, both in milliseconds. SDNN is one of the so-called frequency domain HRVs (others are LF, HF, LF/HF). Different wearable sensors use different metics; Apple has relied on SDNN and nearly all of the others use RMSSD, which is generally considered the more accurate metric. There’s also the different length of time measured, such as for a matter of minutes, all day, or an overnight’s sleep. Short measurements are especially problematic since they don’t capture enough of respiratory modulation and other factors that influence HRV. Share Ground Truths How well does HRV correlate with PRV? There are very limited studies, especially independently done. One that is commonly cited was conducted by Air Force researchers in only 13 healthy adults assessing Oura ring 3 and 4, Whoop 4.0, and Garmin Fenix 6 and showed a correlation coefficient of 0.88 to 0.97 and a mean absolute percentage error from 6 to 10%. The correlation is not a perfect 1.0, but there’s at least a fairly high level of correlation. HRV is supposed to increase during the night due to takeover of the parasympathetic nervous system, and higher during deep sleep. A recent example of my 1 week, all day “HRV,” and one during sleep is shown below. As you can see, the N of 1 data are inconsistent for the same days from different sensors (Oura, AppleWatch, Fitbit Air, and Eight Sleep) by patterns, absolute numbers, and comparison with prior days and weeks. The largest study in over 8 million Fitbit users (the old version, not Google Fitbit Air, introduced in May 2026) gives you a sense of the effect of age, sex, and the 2 different main HRV (here PRV) metrics, with RMSSD on the left and SDRR (=SDNN) on the right below. That study, from data collected in 2018, is a major outlier, since all the more recent ones are tiny with respect to sample size. Many of the companies have not had independent evaluation of their HRV, such as Eight Sleep, but have published a low standard error on their website. There are some other published studies on the correlation between HRV and PRV, but they are all small and only in healthy adults. A scoping review emphasized the lack of study in underrepresented individuals, including the aged, people of color (which affects the PPG signal), and individuals who are underweight or obese. Add the typical adult age 60 plus with one or more chronic diseases. For example, one study in over 900 adults found poor correlation of HRV and PRV, non-uniformly underestimated across many chronic diseases (cardiovascular, endocrine, neurological, respiratory, and others), concluding PRV is “an invalid surrogate for HRV.” A recent systematic review of 43 studies comparing HRV and PRV found reasonable pooled absolute standardized error (HRV as gold standard) but only 10 of the studies provided quantitative synthesis in ideal conditions. Their main conclusion was similarly cautious: “PPG-derived HRV [PRV] should not be regarded as universally interchangeable with ECG-derived HRV across all devices, populations, and recording contexts.” Factors Affecting HRV and PRV That gets me to the long list of factors that affect HRV (and PRV) besides the device, the type of measurement (RMSSD, SDNN or others), the person’s signal, the sensor site, the duration of data capture, if weighting by sleep stage is used, how artifact is processed and corrected. And this list is not complete!: Oura puts out data from their community of users (who input data) on what affects their overnight HRV. The factors currently provided are: no alcohol (increase 8%), melatonin (increase 2%, float tank (increase 2%), wine (decrease 4%), and party (decrease 14%) in overnight HRV. Must be some big parties! Subscribe What is a PRV measurement good for? It has been falsely characterized as an index of “autonomic balance” and a specific indicator of stress. A 2018 review of the studies available for HRV and its relationship to stress, not using any of the current wearables, found that stress can lower HRV. But so can many other factors. The non-specificity of the signal, indexed to the table above, is striking. Evidence from a UK Biobank study of over 46,000 participants with actual HRV looked at genetically predicted HRV, a genetic risk score, that failed to show the expected HRV-mortality link, indicating that _HRV is likely not causa_l, but rather a reflection of person’s physiologic state. A review of consumer wearable HRV data from 5 longitudinal studies showed that nighttime PRV was not associated with perceived stress, and surprisingly higher HRV, in the largest cohort (N=717 participants), was correlated with higher stress. An Oura ring cohort of 525 first-year college students found a link between overnight PRV and perceived stress, but that was also seen with resting heart rate, sleep, and respiratory rate. Several very small studies have examined the relationship of HRV and athletic injuries or guiding training with mixed, and predominantly negative results. HRV biofeedback training with paced breathing had no significant effect on reducing stress or raising HRV, as demonstrated with sham controlled trials. When HRV for multiple days showed a decline in conjunction with body temperature, the Oura ring published data for prediction of Covid. The WHOOP company sponsored an observational study, published in 2026, of 30,000 users for 72 weeks, without a control group, that reported reduced alcohol intake (5.8 % points) by self-report. That doesn’t tell us much, and particularly about the merits of HRV for behavioral change. If you use the same device and conditions as longitudinal trends for multiple (at least 2-3) weeks that may be the one way to get something useful from the measurements. Data for overnight sleep with minimal motion and using RMSSD is the best proxy for real HRV. The reason to look at trends rather than any given night is that it more likely represents something, even though you won’t know with certainty what the “it” is. Keep in mind there are no data, no peer-reviewed evidence, to show that HRV fluctuation in-person has any correlation with health outcomes. Share Readiness Scores These are proprietary scores that integrate different metrics for each of the wearables: no algorithms have been disclosed. They are unvalidated against health outcomes. In a review of 14 composite health scores of readiness and recovery, HRV contributed 86% to the scores, followed by reading heart rate (79%), physical activity and sleep duration (both at 71%). That review noted the substantial variability in measurement protools and lack of standardization. Sleep staging is notoriously inconsistent and inaccurate by these sensors, which adds further to the HRV uncertainties for what the scores, which use sleep stage data, mean. Only resting heart rate has been shown consistently across devices to be extremely accurate. I’ve made a Table to summarize what we know about which metrics are included, the scores, any peer-reviewed studies that compared the readiness score with health outcomes, and the corresponding (if any, NA-not available) citation. You will note that some companies do not use the term “readiness," such as WHOOP for recovery, and Garmin, which has 2 different scores, one of which is Body Battery. Eight Sleep uses the term “Fitness Score.” They all include HRV; Apple includes a new metric they call “Recovery HRV” which among other components uses 7-days of sleep, but it is unclear what this means or how it is differentiated from other scores (there are clearly no data for outcomes). We have no knowledge of how the different components are weighted or whether any of these scores are better than resting heart rate, HRV alone, physical activity, or any other single metric. Since none of these are standardized, they are not interchangeable, so if you get a 90 for Oura that has no relationship to a 90 on a Google Fitbit Air. Notably, the company can update its algorithm for readiness score at any point without notification to device users. Without any useful evidence of actionability for these scores or established relationship with health outcomes, it is hard to make a case for their value. At the Apple recent announcement they showed their Readiness score (0-10) on the watch (Figure below) but there are no published data on this score, not even on their website. It’s available only on their new Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4 [of course, ;-)]. That exemplifies the problems with these scores, lack of data and evidence for being meaningful to promote health. Perhaps the best study (which isn’t saying much) is the WHOOP Recovery for golfer performance, because it did correlate with an objective outcome, even though there was no control group and the authors were all from the company. Among the 389 pro golfers, an absolute 10-per cent point increase in Recovery score was associated with about 0.5 fewer strokes per round. But that’s hardly a health outcome! WHOOP is also conducting a study in over 2,700 runners to see if their recovery score will be linked to less injuries and improved performance, but that is not yet published and has no control group or randomization. Putting This in Context For two decades I’ve been enthusiastic about the potential for digital health and particularly wearable biosensors. Over the years, we’ve seen some great progress for their ability to promote physical activity and accurately detect atrial fibrillation (the first FDA cleared deep learning AI for consumers). That work was the subject of rigorous research. But there are holes in the data and evidence for other metrics. One notable one is the “VO2 max” story that I wrote about earlier this year. At that time many subscribers asked me to cover heart rate variability, which I finally got to here. When I dived into the research and publication for HRV and readiness scores, I expected to find at least some that were of high quality and demonstrated their utility by linkage to health outcomes. To my surprise, I found none. The wearable sensor measurements for HRV (PRV) are, for the most part, accurate, but that validation work has only been done in small studies of healthy adults and does not take into account the long list of factors, from the device, software side, and the user side, that affect HRV measurements. Moreover, this metric chiefly relies on optical sensing and, as we have learned for heart rate PPG sensing, may be less accurate in people of color. Keep in mind that all of the health outcome association evidence comes from ECG-derived HRV; none are from wearable sensor data. I will repeat the key point: there's no peer-reviewed evidence to show that in-person HRV fluctuation—or efforts to raise your HRV— has any correlation with health outcomes. For those of you who look at your HRV on awakening, or even 2+ week trends of it being low, I hope this context helps to relieve any anxiety. Yes, low HRV (not PRV) has been shown to increase risk of some diseases as summarized above. But efforts to raise your HRV—a surrogate metric— has not been established for improving any health outcomes. HRV does not have any evidence of causality (the genetic evidence actually goes against this possibility). In this summary, I have not included data for other wearable sensors such as Polar, Samsung, Withings, Suunto, Amazfit, Coros, Ultrahuman, or additional mattress sensors. These are beyond my first-hand experience, and as far as I know from my in-depth review none have any peer-reviewed published data that differ from the 6 sensors I’ve reviewed here. From the points I’ve gone over above, we’re not ready for readiness scores. Besides being proprietary, they are predominantly based on metrics that have their own issues. It’s compounding the problem, like building a house without a solid foundation that has never undergone a rigorous inspection, and then selling it. Like I mentioned for PRV, you can look at trends over weeks rather than any single day, to get a handle, but even that may not be helpful. There’s simply no evidence that these scores meaningfully relate to health outcomes. I’d emphasize they might, but that requires doing prospective or randomized studies to prove it. None exist. There’s great promise for HRV/PRV utility_. For example**,**_ Prof Maiken Nedergaard, who discovered the brain glymphatics that are essential in eliminating metabolic waste products from the brain during sleep, has posited that HRV could be a non-invasive marker for neuromodulator oscillations, brain-body regulatory circuits, and brain clearance. That would be extremely useful, but like everything else on HRV and readiness scores it requires solid research and validation. The lay media isn’t helping much to get the story straight. Earlier this year The Economist published a piece entitled “The most useful indicator of your overall health” which ordained HRV as an “accumulated stress score.” That’s akin to the false assertion about VO2max: “V02 max is the singular most powerful marker for longevity.” As I’ve summarized here, that is not established. The fact is that so many things can lower HRV, including physical exercise (especially an intense workout), reduced sleep quality, stress, the list above, no less the device, signal, and software. Whatever fluctuations observed have not been correlated with any health outcome. Sadly, “datamaxxers” are widely using HRV and readiness scores that have never been validated to mean anything. We already know that for some people using the sensors for sleep metrics, it can induce “orthosomnia,” an obsession to get high sleep quality, with associated high levels of anxiety. In an experiment done by a company to promote sleep quality for its employees, “For those employees who did use the trackers, many reported feeling perfectly rested until their tracker told them they had had a terrible night. Others were told that they had slept like a baby when they had actually been lying awake worrying about the quality of their sleep. “ The same problem can result from preoccupation with HRV or readiness scores, with anxiety that would lead to further reduction in both. It you are using a wearable like >100 million American adults, it’s OK to look at these data, but contextualized with the major caveats reviewed here. If you are one to require evidence that HRV or readiness scores are linked to health outcomes, you may not even want to look. The companies make it hard to turn them off! Let me end with the companies that make and sell wearables. Apple’s doubling down on HRV (24-fold more reporting and heart rate very 5 seconds) and introduction of a Readiness score tells us that consumers have bought into these metrics and they are joining the club. However, all of this is occurring with a backdrop of tens millions of users, claims about the data that are not backed up by adequate evidence, marketing way out in front of whatever limited data exists, and not being transparent about their readiness score algorithms. The companies can well afford to do the research that is needed to connect these metrics with health outcomes show, once and for all, that increasing HRV or using readiness scores promotes our health. If they believed and invested in the products they are selling, we’d not be in this position of not knowing. That’s essentially where we are with HRV and readiness scores. Perhaps someday this will change and we’ll have good reason to embrace them. NB: I wrote this post. No AI. I have no conflicts of interest with any of its content. Loading... Ground Truths has 215,000 subscribers from every US state and 214 countries. There are over 300,000 followers of Ground Truths so more than 90,000 folks who can easily convert to be free subscribers. Your subscription to these free essays and podcasts makes my work in putting them together worthwhile. If you’re not a subscriber, please join! If you found this interesting PLEASE share it! Share Ground Truths The proceeds from all voluntary paid subscriptions go to support our summer internship program. It enabled us to accept and support a record number of 62 summer interns that joined us in 2026! These are high school, college and medical students selected from thousands of applicants. We couldn’t do this expanded program without the funds coming in through Ground Truths. Thank you!
Healthy food is the missing piece in health savings and flexible spending accounts
Fruits and vegetables are the ultimate over-the-counter medicine — good for you, proven to help and something we should make easier for people to afford.
Firefighter cancer screening initiative expanded in Connecticut
A firefighter cancer screening initiative by Hartford HealthCare expanded in Litchfield County.
The Asian Games are open with more athletes than the Summer Olympics and some unfamiliar sports
The opening ceremony of the Asian Games has marked the official start of the 16-day event
Mark Kelly Calls for Reversal of Trump’s Healthcare Cuts: 'Making Sure Every American Can Afford Quality Care'
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) called for a reversal of President Donald Trump’s "healthcare cuts," arguing that Americans should be able to access affordable, quality medical care regardless of where they...
What to know about Akron at Minnesota college football game
Check out what is happening with the Akron Zips and Minnestoa Golden Gophers football teams before Saturday's game.
Aiken expo offers buffet of information on health-related services and products
AIKEN — The 1300 block of Pine Log Road East had a variety of vendors and other business representatives gathered Sept. 18 for the Aiken Standard Health and Life Expo, with Aiken Senior Life Services ...
New Hanover's 17-year life expectancy divide fuels Hub's reporting
New Hanover County has a 17 year life expectancy gap. Local journalists are working together to find out why.
Pacers' Latest News Gives More Reason for Tyrese Haliburton Excitement
Indiana Pacers fans have been given another reason to get excited about Tyrese Haliburton.
Is Hinge Health (HNGE) Still Undervalued As Its Digital Care Growth Draws Attention?
Jim Cramer put Hinge Health (HNGE) in the spotlight on a recent Mad Money lightning round, contrasting its rapid expansion with Aveanna Healthcare as investors reassess digital musculoskeletal care businesses. Hinge Health has been riding strong momentum, with the share price at $94.9 after a 36.7% 90 day share price return and a 108.3% year to date share price return. The 1 year total shareholder return of 66.8% shows how quickly sentiment has shifted in favor of the stock. Scan beyond Hinge...
Isaac Cruz vs. Nestor Bravo Start Time, Ring Walks
Watch Lakota West's Roman Combs intercept a Princeton deep ball
Lakota West’s Roman Combs intercepts a Princeton deep ball in their Greater Miami Conference game Friday, Sept. 18, 2026.
Mapping tsunamis and building trust in Alaska’s coastal communities
For more than two decades, Elena Troshina has been traveling to Alaska coastal communities to support the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program.