Network analysis of human heartbeat dynamics

Abstract

We construct the complex networks of human heartbeat dynamics and investigate their statistical properties, using the visibility algorithm proposed by Lacasa and co-workers [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 105, 4972 (2008)]. Our results show that the associated networks for the time series of heartbeat interval are always scale-free, high clustering, hierarchy, and assortative mixing. In particular, the assortative coefficient of associated networks could distinguish between healthy subjects and patients with congestive heart failure.