Heart Rate as an Indicator of Cough Severity

This white paper investigates the integration of heart rate monitoring with continuous cough frequency assessment, proposing a novel approach to evaluating cough severity and its physiological impact. The study explores opportunities to enhance patient monitoring for individuals with respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, using heart rate changes around cough events as an additional indicator of cough severity.

Key Findings:

1. Heart Rate Responses to Cough:
   • Heart rate typically increases following a cough.
   • Variability in responses included transient dips, prolonged elevations, and complex patterns, reflecting individual differences in physiological and autonomic responses.
2. Physiological Implications:
   • Cough-induced heart rate changes suggest transient cardiovascular stress, particularly relevant for patients with chronic respiratory or cardiovascular conditions.
   • Combining these metrics may offer a holistic view of a patient’s health, informing personalized treatment strategies.
3. Clinical and Technological Implications:
   • Enhanced patient monitoring: Real-time, integrated cough and heart rate data could improve assessments of disease progression and treatment efficacy.
   • Improved clinical trial endpoints: Objective metrics offer granularity for assessing therapeutic effects on respiratory and cardiovascular health.
   • Applications in wearable technology: Expanding capabilities beyond fitness metrics to include real-world health monitoring for respiratory conditions.
4. Future Directions:
   • Incorporating additional physiological metrics (e.g., oxygen saturation, blood pressure) could deepen insights.
   • Development of machine learning models to analyze combined datasets for predictive health monitoring.

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