Life encompasses more than mere figures, yet it often seems otherwise in today’s world. We exist in a time dominated by wearable tech, health tracking, and extreme optimization.
With just a few unobtrusive devices, driven individuals can transform themselves into intelligent data compilers.
We can keep an eye on blood oxygen levels, breathing rates, blood sugar, REM sleep, skin temperature, heart rate variability, body composition, and an array of other biomarkers regularly.
If desired, you can document your meals, mood, menstrual cycles, and even bowel habits.
The goal is to have access to all this information so we can enhance and extend our lives. But how do we extract significance from it?
How can we gain genuine health insights without dedicating hours to computations and organization? Because aside from a few bored billionaires, most of us don’t view our living spreadsheets as truly valuable.
Fortunately, researchers at Northwestern University in the US have some exciting news. In 2025, they discovered a method to: Combine two commonly measured health indicators to provide us with deeper insights into daily fitness and long-term health risks.
The daily heart rate per step (DHRPS) is a straightforward measure. Simply divide your average daily heart rate by your average step count.
Yes, you’ll need to constantly track both metrics using a health monitor, such as an Apple Watch or Fitbit (the latter being utilized in the research), but the calculations are done automatically.
In just 2 seconds, you can uncover critical information about your cardiovascular health.
“We discovered that [DHRPS measurement] has a stronger correlation with type 2 diabetes, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and heart attacks,” said Flynn Chen, the lead author of the paper. “It’s significantly more informative than merely tracking heart rate or steps.”
Improving Your Score
Here’s the breakdown: Suppose your average heart rate for the month is 80 beats per minute, and you walk an average of 6,000 steps daily. Your DHRPS score would then be 0.01333.
Now, if you boost your step count to an average of 10,000 steps per day over the following month, your DHRPS should drop to 0.008. In this case, a lower score is preferable.
In their study, Chen and colleagues monitored over 7,000 Fitbit users across five years, during which they recorded more than 50 billion steps.
The researchers categorized participants into three groups based on their DHRPS scores: low (below 0.0081), moderate (above 0.0081 and below 0.0147), and high (above 0.0147).
The simplest way to alter your score is by increasing your step count, Chen suggests.
“Numerous established studies indicate that daily step count is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and overall mortality,” he adds.
“Our ongoing research reveals that heart rate in relation to step count may be an even stronger independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease than step count alone.
“By increasing your step count, you not only pursue the 10,000 steps daily goal, but also improve both metrics simultaneously.”
Chen advises that you need at least a week’s worth of consistent data from your smartwatch or tracker for a meaningful DHRPS score.
The Future of Heart Rate per Step
Since the release of this study, the health tracking community has started utilizing these insights, potentially leading to further advancements as more data becomes available.
“A crucial aspect is that our metrics correlate with VO.2 max scores,” Chen mentions.
This is significant because V.O.2 maximum measures the highest rate of oxygen consumption during exercise, providing valuable insights regarding your aerobic capacity and metabolic health.
The challenge lies in accurately measuring VO.2 max, as it typically requires a treadmill stress test, with limited availability of such tests.
If DHRPS proves to be a reliable indicator of VO.2 max, it could serve as another method to simplify health data access for everyone—no spreadsheets needed.
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com
