Your Heart’s New Metric? What You Need to Know About DHRPS

There’s a new health stat buzzing in the longevity world: Daily Heart Rate per Step (DHRPS). Researchers from the Framingham Heart Study have uncovered that this emerging wearable-based metric could be a predictor of metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk.

The concept is simple: If your heart rate is elevated but your step count is low, it might mean your body is working harder than it should to handle everyday movement. Conversely, a lower heart rate per step signals better efficiency, fitness, and potentially a lower risk of disease.

According to the study, people in the highest DHRPS quartile were 2–3 times more likely to develop metabolic syndrome, abnormal blood sugar, high waist circumference, and hypertension. The association remained significant even after adjusting for factors like overall heart rate, step count, and total activity minutes.

The Study Behind DHRPS

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, explored the potential of DHRPS as a predictor of cardiovascular health. Researchers equipped people with wearable devices to monitor their heart rates and step counts over a specified period. They discovered that those with elevated DHRPS readings were more likely to experience cardiovascular events compared to those with lower readings. This suggests that DHRPS could serve as a valuable tool in early detection and prevention strategies for heart disease.​

Traditional metrics like resting heart rate and total daily steps provide useful information but don’t account for the relationship between heart rate and physical activity. DHRPS bridges this gap by offering a dynamic view of heart performance during daily activities. ‍

How to Monitor Your DHRPS

With the proliferation of wearable fitness trackers and smartwatches, monitoring your DHRPS has become more accessible. Here’s how you can start:​

1. Track Your Steps: Use a reliable device to count your daily steps.​ We recommend the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in our best longevity tech guide. 
2. Monitor Your Heart Rate: Ensure your device accurately records your average daily heart rate.
3. Calculate DHRPS: Divide your average daily heart rate by your total daily steps. For example, if your average heart rate is 80 beats per minute and you take 8,000 steps, your DHRPS would be 0.01.​ There’s no universal “healthy” DHRPS value yet, but generally, a lower DHRPS indicates better cardiovascular efficiency.

A Promising Signal—but Not a Standalone Metric

While this sounds like a breakthrough, some experts urge us to keep it in perspective. Dr. Michael Roizen, Chief Wellness Officer of the Cleveland Clinic and Super Age Advisor, sees DHRPS as a promising measure for research and maybe motivation, but not yet a gold standard for health. “Daily average heart rate per step is an intermediate computed process variable,” he says. (That’s expert speak for a stat that’s calculated, not measured directly, and one that can flag potential issues before a diagnosis, but isn’t the whole story.) “It predicts risk—but we already know what to focus on.”

Roizen says he like to focus on numbers you can actually change, emphasizing the power of what he calls the “6 Normals + 2”:

• Normal blood pressure
• Normal blood sugar
• Normal waist size
• Normal LDL cholesterol (or Apo B)
• No cotinine (nicotine metabolite) in urine
• Effective stress management
• Plus: regular physical activity and sleep

Together, these eight markers are strongly predictive of long-term health and longevity. “If DHRPS helps motivate someone to improve these core markers, great,” Roizen adds. But right now, this metric is more of a supporting player than a lead actor.

So Should You Pay Attention to DHRPS?

Maybe. If you use a device like Apple Watch, Fitbit, or Oura Ring that tracks your heart rate and step count, keeping an eye on your average heart rate per step might help you spot patterns. If your rate is creeping up, it could signal increased stress, decreased fitness, or the need to move more.

But don’t let it distract you from the fundamentals. Brisk steps are great, but they’re one piece of the longevity puzzle. What really moves the needle? Managing the metrics you can control: blood pressure, blood sugar, waist size, cholesterol, stress levels, fitness, sleep, and community engagement.

DHRPS may eventually become a valuable tool in your wearable’s toolkit, especially if it motivates consistent movement. But it’s not a shortcut to longevity, it’s a new way to listen to your body.