Deceleration Capacity of the Heart Rate: Measurement Characteristics and Biological Determinants

Purpose Deceleration capacity is becoming a more widely used predictor for health outcomes and cardiac autonomic dysfunction, but its measurement characteristics and biological determinants remain insufficiently understood. This study examined these factors in a large population-based sample (n = 1291) from the Netherlands Twin Register. Methods Participants wore an physiological monitoring device for 24 hours, and deceleration capacity was computed through phase-rectified signal averaging. To test whether short recordings might suffice, deceleration capacity estimates derived from 5-minute segments were compared with estimates obtained from full 24-hour ambulatory recordings. Temporal stability was examined in a subsample of participants measured again roughly three years later, and twin modeling was used to determine how much of the individual variance was explained by environmental and genetic factors. Results The results indicated that short-term deceleration capacity derived from 5-minute segments can deviate substantially from those derived from the full 24-hour recording, and that these deviations vary systematically across the day. It showed moderate to strong temporal stability across two measurement occasions roughly three years apart (r = .74, ICC(A,1) = .74). In addition, deceleration capacity was negatively associated with age (β = -0.04, R² = .14) and BMI (β = -0.04, R² = .03), and was higher in males than females (M = 4.70 vs M = 4.12). We further found substantial heritability of deceleration capacity (h 2 = .62). Conclusions Together, these findings establish that 24-hour DC reflects a stable biological trait, which is in line with its prognostic potential for health outcomes.