The word "variability" can often be heard in everyday life. But its meaning is not clear to many. To understand what people are talking about, you need to understand the meaning. The word has a synonym for "variability." But why then they do not use it, because it is much more understandable to everyone. Everything here is not so simple and there is an explanation for this. "Variability" is a term that was originally introduced in biology. And how to use it now, you can read on.
What is variability?
The word came to us from the Latin language and means "variability." For the first time, this definition was used in biology to indicate changes between descendants and parents of the same species. Also, the word is ubiquitous in medicine. It denotes the rapidly developing section of cardiology, which is engaged in the calculation of indicators of heart function.
The entire section is called "Heart Rate Variability." This aspect is very important for the development of medicine. The heart is one of the most important organs of every person. Maintaining it in a healthy state is simply necessary. To determine heart health, a method of measuring heart rate variability is used.
How is heart health measured?
One of the main ways to determine the health status and performance of the human heart is to analyze heart rate variability. In this process, the duration of the heartbeat is determined. Based on the results, one can say how the body works: for wear or in time to restore the necessary supply of energy for everyday load.
A healthy heart is characterized by high rates of variability. If the indicator is below average, it means that there are problems in the body, and it does not have time to restore strength for the required work. These indicators can vary significantly depending on the load: physical, mental, emotional. At the same time, respiration, general well-being and the work of hormones play an important role. From a medical point of view, variability is a way of measuring the state of the heart.
The history of the development of the method in Russia
An analysis of heart rate variability has been studied for over 50 years. The roots of the method go back to space medicine, in which analysis was used to monitor the health status of future astronauts and their response to stress. This problem was especially acute during the arms race.
For a successful exit into space, a person must ideally withstand loads. In this regard, doctors began to actively search for a method of a complete analysis of a person’s life and check his condition after extensive physical work. For cosmedicine, variability is the basis of human health analysis.
The main founder of aerospace cardiology is Professor Baevsky. Under his leadership, the method began to be developed for the preparation and medical examination of Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin. Thanks to the new method of analyzing heart rate variability, it was possible to determine how the cardiovascular system in the subject transfers weightlessness. It was also possible to see how the body is experiencing the upcoming loads and how many resources will be required for this.
Development in the West
Research in this area has also taken place in the West. The main center of study was Finland. True, they planned to use the method for the analysis of Olympic athletes. By measuring heart rate variability, we were able to make available to all coaches the determination of the level of congestion of athletes. This was necessary to create the optimal training program individually for each person.
It took mankind more than twenty years to learn a new method. Only after such a period of time, doctors were able to get useful and necessary information. Now, heart rate variability analysis is a common method not only in medicine but also in sports. Moreover, over the past two decades, portable cardiac monitors have become popular. They are easy to use not only in sports, but also in everyday life. Their distribution is due to ease of use.
Application in the modern world
Methods of analysis and diagnosis are constantly evolving. Now anyone can measure the variability of the rhythm of their heart. It’s not even necessary to go to the clinic. For over twenty years there have been portable devices - cardiac monitors. With their help, you can easily find out your condition in a few minutes. All devices are made on the basis of standards and norms established by the world community.
Cardiac monitors are widely distributed throughout the world and are most often used for sports. But there are people who just care about their health and apply them in everyday life. Previously, the problem of analyzing the received data was relevant. It’s not enough to look at the figures. It is also necessary to compare them with the norms.
What are the norms for a healthy person?
In fact, it is very difficult to say what kind of variability a particular person should have. The norm depends on the individual characteristics of the body: weight, height, type of activity, current state, position in space.
In order to draw up standards, it is necessary to make several measurements with subsequent recording of the results. And you need to do this for a week. After that, all indicators for a specific condition should be added and divided by the number of measurements (that is, find the average value of their indicators). Only in this way will you be able to find out your norm and subsequently navigate it.
If you feel pain and discomfort, but did not find any deviations during the measurement, then you should consult a cardiologist. Already on the basis of the data you provided and after a detailed examination, a specialist will be able to understand and solve your problem.
Summary
Variability is a new and constantly developing field of medicine. Analysis of their performance has recently become available to anyone. You can do this without leaving their home. Regular heart monitoring will help everyone monitor their body condition.
Continuous testing helps prevent many serious illnesses. The data you collect can help your doctor create a complete history of the disease and make a correct diagnosis.