A genome wide association study to find novel loci associated with Heart Rate Variability

Heart rate variability(HRV), especially for the elderly, carries a high attributable risk for coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and sudden death. Furthermore, it is strongly inversely associated with age and can thus be considered as a marker of (un)healthy ageing. Early indicators, such as reduced HRV can be used to predict the onset of cardiac related morbidities and possible early intervention. In addition, the rapid increase in the number of subjects living into the eighth and ninth decades of life and beyond underscores the predictive utility of HRV for cardiac related morbidity and mortality. It is expected that the findings of this project will allow us to elucidate the biological pathways through which HRV contributes to cardiovascular disease development that could ultimately provide new therapeutic targets and; thereby contributing to the design of future interventions that support the process of healthy aging.