Heart Rate Variability: the Involvement of Breathing Pattern (chest breathing, abdominal breathing) and Anxiety

Abstract

The relationship of heart rate variability to thoracic and abdominal components of breathing pattern, as well as to slow paced respiration, was studied in healthy volunteers with different level of anxiety. Subjects with high anxiety showed lower levels of heart rate variability, slow respiration increased the low frequency component of HRV in both groups, chest and abdominal respiration reduced HRV.