Heart rate variability (HRV) is a parameter of the neurocontrol of the heart and is used more and more in recent scientific research and practice, not only in Western, but also in evidence-based traditional medicine. Today innovative research including the latest recording technology and also artificial intelligence techniques are used for data acquisition and data analysis of HRV in acupuncture and herbal medicine research.

The scope of HRV is not yet completely clear, but it is known that there are intraindividual and interindividual variances and that heart rate variation depends on age. It becomes less random with the aging process and the appearance of age-related diseases. Apart from age, circadian variations (sleep-wake cycle), physical condition, and mental and physical exertion are important influencing factors. HRV can also be affected by diverse conditions such as age-related diseases like diabetic neuropathy, renal failure, essential hypertension, cardiac disorders, coronary artery disease, or intracranial lesions. In all cases, different medications have to be taken into account.

HRV can be used as a globally reliable indicator of the state of health. However, it could be demonstrated that in special syndromes like stress one can counteract this process using different preventive methods like acupuncture.

This special issue focuses on the latest innovative aspects concerning HRV and complementary medicine. We welcome papers reporting the results of HRV in combination with different kinds of acupuncture (manual needle acupuncture, laser acupuncture, and electroacupuncture) and effects of herbal medicine, qigong, and so forth. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Basic and clinical HRV research in complementary medicine
• Development of innovative HRV-related concepts for assessing the state of health
• New methods for the quantification of HRV
• HRV and practical implications in traditional medicine (traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Korean medicine, complementary medicine around the world, etc.)
• HRV in traditional herbal compounds, homeopathy, anthroposophic medicine, hydrotherapy, traditional European medicine, and so forth.
• Influence of traditional complementary medical methods (acupuncture, acupressure, Qigong, moxibustion, laser therapy, yoga, biofeedback, etc.) on neurovegetative parameters (HRV)
• Telemedicine and HRV
• Telemedicine and HRV

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/ecam/hrv/ according to the following timetable: