New research concludes that acupuncture improves heart rate variability (HRV). HRV is the variation in time between heart beats and is an index of the body’s ability to maintain control of the heart beat rate and rhythm through vagus nerve activity. Reduced HRV is linked to mortality after myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure and diabetic neuropathy. Based on the HRV evidence, the researchers state that acupuncture may synchronize the two branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) – the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Continue reading →