Seasonal variation in resting heart rate and heart rate variability is attenuated with advancing age
The factors driving seasonal variation in cardiovascular physiology are poorly understood. Using one year of continuous wearable data from 16,415 U.S. adults (5,884,872 person-days), we characterized seasonal variation in resting heart rate (RHR) and heart rate variability (HRV) and tested behavioral covariates (physical activity, sleep) and individual moderators (age, sex, BMI, habitual physical activity). RHR and HRV showed robust seasonal patterns (lower RHR, higher HRV in summer than winter), with seasonal amplitudes (peak-to-trough) of 2.0 bpm and 4.2 ms, respectively. Physical activity and sleep each accounted for <10% of these seasonal patterns, suggesting that other factors are primarily responsible. Seasonal amplitude, however, varied systematically across individuals. It was moderated by age (~29% and ~48% lower in older than younger adults) but not sex, and was greater in more active individuals with lower BMI, consistent with greater cardiovascular plasticity.
Authors
- Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1781-3414)
- Ursula Konstantin Beattie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7131-3712)
- Summer R. Jasinski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6712-6570)
- Seth Elkin-Frankston (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8913-0199)
- William von Hippel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9900-0868)
- Christian P. Cheung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4644-5577)
- Josh Leota (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7714-4630)
- S. Tony Wolf (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6336-2143)
- Lauren R. Parola (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7822-2627)
- Jenna G. Cohen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7189-9663)
- Gregory J. Grosicki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8929-4903)
- Kristen Erika Holmes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5771-9206)
- Finnbarr Fielding (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7757-3099)
- Dylan J. Curran (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9809-8815)
- Christopher J Chapman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5447-516X)
- William E. Jennings (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9304-5319)
Institutions
- Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- University of Georgia (US)
- Monash University (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Aging
- Published
- 2026-10-31
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41514-026-00552-w
- Primary Topic
- Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00