Heart Rate Variability | Why Your Nervous System Needs This.

**Dr. Mark Hyman** (0:00)
You said that HRV is the language of the body. How did that help us understand what's actually happening inside?

**Salim Najjar** (0:03)
If it is measuring that gap or variance between each beat, let's say your heart rate is 72, HRV is the measure of each of that variance between the 72 and a minute. The higher variance between each of the beats, it indicates a more malleable and resilient nervous system that could handle the ever-changing environment that we are always seeing. And just like there's no two fingerprints in the world that are the same, there's actually no two heartbeats in the world that are the same. Meaning your HRV score is solely meant just for you.

**Dr. Mark Hyman** (0:34)
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Before we begin, I'd like to note that today's conversation explores one perspective of an area of medicine that continues to be actively debated. And while we discuss emerging evidence and critiques of current psychiatric practice, treatment decisions, especially involving antidepressants or other prescription medications, should always be made in consultation with your health care provider. The views expressed by my guest are her own and reflect her interpretation of the available evidence. My goal in hosting conversations like this is to explore different perspectives, to examine the science, to encourage thoughtful discussion, not to provide individualized medical advice. So if you're currently taking medication, please don't stop or change your treatment based on this conversation alone. Instead, use this episode as a starting point for an informed conversation with your health care team. My hope is that these discussions encourage curiosity, critical thinking, and shared decision making between patients and their clinicians.
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Salim, welcome to the podcast.

**Salim Najjar** (3:44)
Thank you so much for having me, Mark. Truly a pleasure.

**Dr. Mark Hyman** (3:47)
So good to be with you. You've been coaching me on my HRV, which I appreciate because I got work to do.
For those of you listening who don't know what HRV is, it means heart rate variability. We're going to get into what that means, why it's important, how it's a reflection of your nervous system state and why you need to pay attention to it, how you can actually improve your overall well-being and health and longevity and all the things we care about. So Salim, for someone who's first hearing about HRV, what is it and what is it actually measuring?