TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparison of Guzik’s and Porta’s indices of heart rate asymmetry
AU - Wang, Yong Ping
AU - Wang, Guo Zhi
AU - Kung, Yen Ying
AU - Yang, Cheryl C.H.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 The Author(s). Published on behalf of Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine by IOP Publishing Ltd. Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
PY - 2026/5
Y1 - 2026/5
N2 - Objective. Guzik’s and Porta’s indices of heart rate asymmetry (HRAGI, HRAPI) quantify different aspects of R–R interval (RRI) dynamics. Although highly correlated, the two indices are not interchangeable and may provide partially independent information. To enable a direct and interpretable comparison between them, a connecting bridge is required. Approach. To investigate whether a magnitude-based index exists that aligns closely with the number-based HRAPI and, if so, how this index differs from the magnitude-based HRAGI, we analyze 5 min RRI recordings obtained from 24 male and 29 female participants of different ages during spontaneous breathing, as well as from 14 young participants performing controlled breathing at 0.1 Hz and 0.25 Hz. The mean (Md, Ma) and standard deviation (SDd, SDa) of beat-to-beat deceleration and acceleration magnitudes were computed. Wang’s index of heart rate asymmetry (HRAWI) was defined as the percentage of Md relative to the sum of Md and Ma, whereas HRAGI incorporates both the mean and the SD of these magnitudes. Main results. Across all conditions, Bland–Altman plots showed that the differences between HRAWI and HRAPI (−0.06 ± 1.01%) exhibited narrower limits of agreement with mean difference close to zero. The slopes of the regression lines for HRAWI versus HRAPI did not differ significantly from the slope of the line of identity. HRAGI was significantly greater than HRAWI during 0.1 Hz breathing, but not during 0.25 Hz breathing, paralleling increases in both the Md and SDd during slow breathing. At the same time, the ratio SDd/Md was consistently greater than SDa/Ma, in accordance with the mathematical formulations underlying HRAGI and HRAWI. Significance. The magnitude-based index HRAWI closely matches the number-based HRAPI across a range of physiological conditions. Difference between HRAGI and HRAWI is primarily determined by disparities in the SD/M ratio of RRI decelerations relative to accelerations.
AB - Objective. Guzik’s and Porta’s indices of heart rate asymmetry (HRAGI, HRAPI) quantify different aspects of R–R interval (RRI) dynamics. Although highly correlated, the two indices are not interchangeable and may provide partially independent information. To enable a direct and interpretable comparison between them, a connecting bridge is required. Approach. To investigate whether a magnitude-based index exists that aligns closely with the number-based HRAPI and, if so, how this index differs from the magnitude-based HRAGI, we analyze 5 min RRI recordings obtained from 24 male and 29 female participants of different ages during spontaneous breathing, as well as from 14 young participants performing controlled breathing at 0.1 Hz and 0.25 Hz. The mean (Md, Ma) and standard deviation (SDd, SDa) of beat-to-beat deceleration and acceleration magnitudes were computed. Wang’s index of heart rate asymmetry (HRAWI) was defined as the percentage of Md relative to the sum of Md and Ma, whereas HRAGI incorporates both the mean and the SD of these magnitudes. Main results. Across all conditions, Bland–Altman plots showed that the differences between HRAWI and HRAPI (−0.06 ± 1.01%) exhibited narrower limits of agreement with mean difference close to zero. The slopes of the regression lines for HRAWI versus HRAPI did not differ significantly from the slope of the line of identity. HRAGI was significantly greater than HRAWI during 0.1 Hz breathing, but not during 0.25 Hz breathing, paralleling increases in both the Md and SDd during slow breathing. At the same time, the ratio SDd/Md was consistently greater than SDa/Ma, in accordance with the mathematical formulations underlying HRAGI and HRAWI. Significance. The magnitude-based index HRAWI closely matches the number-based HRAPI across a range of physiological conditions. Difference between HRAGI and HRAWI is primarily determined by disparities in the SD/M ratio of RRI decelerations relative to accelerations.
KW - acceleration
KW - asymmetry
KW - deceleration
KW - heart rate
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105039287867
U2 - 10.1088/1361-6579/ae674d
DO - 10.1088/1361-6579/ae674d
M3 - Article
C2 - 42061979
AN - SCOPUS:105039287867
SN - 0967-3334
VL - 47
JO - Physiological Measurement
JF - Physiological Measurement
IS - 5
M1 - 055018
ER -