This Week In HRV Edition - Episode 16

This Week in Heart Rate Variability: Metabolic Syndrome, Nerve Blocks, EDS & Autonomic Health In this episode of The Heart Rate Variability Podcast – This Week in HRV, we explore how the autonomic nervous system function connects metabolic disease, genetic disorders, targeted neural interventions, and the future of biofeedback science. Episode Highlights How Metabolic Syndrome drives chronic sympathetic overactivation and reduced HRV Experimental evidence showing how the stellate ganglion block directly alters HRV and sympathetic tone New data validating dysautonomia in Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome using HRV and autonomic testing Why HRV is emerging as a critical clinical and research biomarker A preview of the 2026 AAPB Annual Scientific Meeting and why it matters for clinicians and researchers Featured Studies & Resources Cureus (2025) — Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation in Metabolic Syndrome https://www.cureus.com/articles/431819-autonomic-nervous-system-dysregulation-in-metabolic-syndrome-an-association-with-hypertension-and-cardiovascular-risk#!/ Autonomic Neuroscience (2025) — Selective Sympathetic Action on HRV After Stellate Ganglion Block https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1566070225001298 Cureus (2025) — Heart Rate Variability and Intrinsic Autonomic Coupling in Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome https://www.cureus.com/articles/429326-heart-rate-variability-and-intrinsic-autonomic-coupling-in-ehlers-danlos-syndrome?score_article=true#!/ Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB) About AAPB: https://aapb.org/about 2026 Annual Conference: https://aapb.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php?id=43&ts=1763415344 Key Takeaway Heart rate variability is a universal marker of resilience, translating metabolic stress, genetic vulnerability, and neural interventions into measurable physiological signals. HRV is no longer just a wellness metric—it's a clinical and scientific lens into autonomic health. Sponsor This episode is sponsored by Optimal HRV, providing evidence-based tools for measuring and training heart rate variability for individuals, clinicians, and organizations. Now offering e-gift cards for HRV training, app access, and professional dashboards. Learn more at www.optimalhrv.com