ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND INFLAMMATION FROM TWO AGING STUDIES - Racial and Age Differences

Q: What is the main association investigated in the study?

The study tests whether high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) is negatively associated with inflammation, focusing on TNF-α.

Q: How does the association differ by race in the Einstein Aging Study?

A negative HF-HRV–TNF-α association was observed in Black participants, while it was not significant in White participants.

Q: What do the replication analyses suggest about age differences?

Among adults 60 and older, the negative association was evident for Black/Black Biracial participants but not for White participants; for those under 60, the association was evident for White participants but not for Black/Black Biracial participants.

Sep 29, 2026

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The study examines whether the vagus nerve’s cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, reflected in heart rate variability, shows racial and age differences in inflammation regulation among mid-life and older adults. In the Einstein Aging Study, high-frequency HRV (HF-HRV) was negatively associated with TNF-α, particularly among Black participants, while no links appeared for other inflammatory markers. Replication in MIDUS 2 and Refresher Biomarker Projects found race- and age-specific HF-HRV–TNF-α associations, suggesting implications for cardiovascular health disparities and targeted interventions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background and aim

Methods: Einstein Aging Study

Results: primary association and replication

Age- and race-specific patterns

Implications

1106 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.3713 ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND INFLAMMATION FROM TWO AGING STUDIES: RACIAL AND AGE DIFFERENCES Molly Wright1, Richard Sloan2, Carol Derby3, David Almeida1, and Christopher Engeland1, 1. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States, 2. Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States, 3. Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States The vagus nerve regulates inflammation via a cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, supported by findings of a negative association between high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV)—a marker of cardiac vagal activity—and inflammation. This study sought to examine whether there are racial and age differences in this association among mid-life and older adults. In the Einstein Aging Study, 74 adults (Mage=78.3; 45.9% Black) wore ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) devices for 7 days to measure HF-HRV and provided blood samples for inflammatory markers, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α . Covariate-adjusted regression models showed HF-HRV was negatively associated with TNF-α (β=–0.323, p = 0.005); this was apparent in Black participants (β=–0.469, p = 0.008) but not White participants (p = 0.69) . No significant associations with other inflammation markers were seen. To replicate and assess age differences, data (including TNF-α levels and HF-HRV determined from 11-minutes of ECG recordings) from the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS) 2 and Refresher Biomarker Projects (N = 1,664, Mage=55.4) were analyzed. Among adults ≥60 years, the negative HF-HRV–TNF-α association was evident for Black/Black Biracial participants (N=80, β=–0.280, p=0.008) but not White participants (N = 474, p = 0.15) in adjusted regression models. For those < 60(years), this association was evident for White participants (N = 703, β=–0.081, p= 0.037) but not for Black/Black Biracial participants (N = 199, p = 0.85). These findings suggest race-and age-specific patterns in the vagal regulation of inflammation. This could have important implications for understanding and addressing cardiovascular health disparities, such as suggesting that interventions targeting HRV may be particularly efficacious among Black individuals in later life.

FAQs

What is the main association investigated in the study?

The study tests whether high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) is negatively associated with inflammation, focusing on TNF-α.

How does the association differ by race in the Einstein Aging Study?

A negative HF-HRV–TNF-α association was observed in Black participants, while it was not significant in White participants.

What do the replication analyses suggest about age differences?

Among adults 60 and older, the negative association was evident for Black/Black Biracial participants but not for White participants; for those under 60, the association was evident for White participants but not for Black/Black Biracial participants.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Terk