The dependency ratio: it is changing governments

It’s impressive to see how the great minds of the 18th century understood today’s more pressing problems. In his opening chapters to the Wealth of Nations,[1]The Wealth of Nations Adam Smith explains in detail how the proportion of economically active people to those who are inactive is an important determinant in the wealth of a… Continue reading The dependency ratio: it is changing governments

Sleep, health and HRV

Doctors often prescribe sleep as the remedy to illness. It’s true that sleep is critical in the prevention of Alzheimers Disease[1]Sleep: a novel mechanistic pathway, biomarker, and treatment target in the pathology of alzheimer’s disease?, various cancers, diabetes, hypertension[2]Overanxious and underslept., pneumonia[3]A prospective study of sleep duration and pneumonia risk in women., heart disease and… Continue reading Sleep, health and HRV

Breathing to improve your health

Wim Hof breathing improves HRV metrics We’re always interested when any of our users starts getting better HRV numbers. Recently a few of our users started to show the kinds of improvements we all dream about. What was even more interesting is that these are people whose numbers were already very good. They were emphatic… Continue reading Breathing to improve your health

Your heart is your personal pathologist

Resting heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) are metrics that give consistent feedback on our health status and fitness. As we get fitter, our resting heart rate drops. Elite athletes have a resting heart rate in the mid 30s.  Why HRV is important?  The heart beat forms one of the most important indicators of… Continue reading Your heart is your personal pathologist

Open letter to the World’s leaders

We are seeing a familiar pattern as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 surges across the globe. The defences that you promised will keep us safe, are failing. The economy is going backwards. So you raise new defences, promising that this time they will protect us. Now, it’s the booster vaccine that will save us. Why… Continue reading Open letter to the World’s leaders

The benefits of measuring Heart Rate Variability

Heart rate variability gives users a daily measure of their health status. It also provides the elite athlete with a powerful metric of how their body is responding to training.  A health heart is not a metronome[1]An Overview of Heart Rate Variability Metrics and Norms, even when the pulse rate is constant. The interval between… Continue reading The benefits of measuring Heart Rate Variability

COVID-19 is here for the long term

In 2000 Philip Morris in the Czech Republic commissioned a report that confirmed that smoking has a positive benefit on the cost of healthcare. The study found that smoking kills before other morbidities that require expensive treatment take hold, so saving the financial burden on the taxpayer[1]Public Finance Balance of Smoking in the Czech Republic.… Continue reading COVID-19 is here for the long term

Staying alive with HRV

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) reliably tests health conditions ranging from respiratory diseases and cardiovascular ailments to COVID-19[1]Assessment of physiological signs associated with COVID-19 measured using wearable devices. HRV improves with increased levels fitness[2]Heart rate variability and aerobic fitness. HRV declines with age[3]Short-Term Heart Rate Variability—Influence of Gender and Age in Healthy Subjects. It’s always been self-evident… Continue reading Staying alive with HRV