Condition · Evidence Hub
Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Heart Health
Does vagus nerve stimulation help with heart health? 28 human studies have investigated VNS for heart health, including 5 systematic reviews, 17 RCTs, and 3 controlled trials, published between 2002 and 2026, with 15 published since 2022. Studies use transcutaneous auricular (taVNS) and implanted (iVNS) stimulation. Findings vary by study design and population; the studies below are ranked by evidence strength so you can weigh the research directly.
5 systematic reviews · 17 RCTs · 3 controlled trials · 1 observational study · 2 narrative reviews
Evidence by Tier
strongest → weakest
- 5Systematic reviews & meta-analyses
- 17Randomised controlled trials
- 3Controlled clinical trials
- 1Observational & cohort studies
- 2Narrative & scoping reviews
Stimulation Method
- 27taVNS
- 1iVNS
Research Momentum
15 of 28 studies (54%) published since 2022 — an actively growing evidence base.
The studies
28 studies · strongest evidence firstNeuromodulation of heart rate variability: a systematic review
Souza et al. · Autonomic Neuroscience · 2026
systematic reviewstaVNSAssociation between non-invasive auricular stimulation and blood pressure lowering: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Nagai et al. · European Heart Journal Open · 2025 · n = 959
systematic reviewstaVNSEfficacy of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Suppress Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review
Umaña Mejia et al. · Cureus · 2025 · n = 121
systematic reviewstaVNSVagus Nerve Stimulation and Its Cardioprotective Abilities: A Systematic Review
Elamin et al. · Journal of clinical medicine · 2023
systematic reviewstaVNSDoes transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation affect vagally mediated heart rate variability? A living and interactive Bayesian meta-analysis
Wolf et al. · Psychophysiology · 2021
systematic reviewstaVNSTragus Nerve Stimulation Attenuates Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome in Post COVID-19 Infection
Wang et al. · Clinical Cardiology · 2025 · n = 57
RCTstaVNSThe effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on cardiovascular function in subarachnoid hemorrhage patients: A randomized trial
Tan et al. · eLife · 2025 · n = 24
RCTstaVNSLow-Level Tragus Stimulation Attenuates Blood Pressure in Young Individuals With Hypertension: Results From a Small-Scale Single-Blind Controlled Randomized Clinical Trial
Mbikyo et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · 2024 · n = 40
RCTstaVNSTranscutaneous Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Changing the Paradigm for Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation Therapies?
Förster · Biomolecules · 2024
RCTstaVNSVagus nerve stimulation for cardiovascular diseases: Is there light at the end of the tunnel?
Zafeiropoulos et al. · Trends in cardiovascular medicine · 2024
RCTstaVNSVagus nerve stimulation: Potential for treating chronic wounds
Budhiraja et al. · Wound repair and regeneration : official publication of the Wound Healing Society [and] the European Tissue Repair Society · 2024
RCTsiVNSPercutaneous Neuromodulation for Atrial Fibrillation
Zuhair et al. · Cardiac electrophysiology clinics · 2024
RCTstaVNSVagus Nerve Stimulation and Atrial Fibrillation: Revealing the Paradox
Kharbanda et al. · Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society · 2022
RCTstaVNSTREAT AF (Transcutaneous Electrical Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Suppress Atrial Fibrillation): A Randomized Clinical Trial
Stavrakis et al. · JACC. Clinical electrophysiology · 2020
RCTstaVNSLow-Level Tragus Stimulation for Atrial Fibrillation: A Glimpse of Hope for Neuromodulation?
Qin et al. · JACC. Clinical electrophysiology · 2020
RCTstaVNSLow-Level Vagus Nerve Stimulation Suppresses Post-Operative Atrial Fibrillation and Inflammation: A Randomized Study
Stavrakis et al. · JACC. Clinical electrophysiology · 2017 · n = 54
RCTstaVNSNon-invasive vagus nerve stimulation acutely improves spontaneous cardiac baroreflex sensitivity in healthy young men: A randomized placebo-controlled trial
Antonino et al. · Brain Stimulation · 2017 · n = 13
RCTstaVNSEffects of extrinsic cardiac nerve stimulation on atrial fibrillation inducibility: The regulatory role of the spinal cord
Dai et al. · Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology · 2017
RCTstaVNSVagus nerve stimulation: A spear role or a shield role in atrial fibrillation?
Chen et al. · International journal of cardiology · 2015
RCTstaVNSContinuous vagal nerve stimulation affects atrial neural remodeling and reduces atrial fibrillation inducibility in rabbits
Yuan et al. · Cardiovascular pathology : the official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Pathology · 2015
RCTstaVNSLow-level vagus nerve stimulation: an important therapeutic option for atrial fibrillation treatment via modulating cardiac autonomic tone
Chen et al. · International journal of cardiology · 2015
RCTstaVNSVagal stimulation and atrial fibrillation: experimental models and clinical uncertainties
Wilber et al. · Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology · 2002
RCTstaVNSAcute Effect of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Two Different Locations on Blood Pressure and Cardiac Autonomic Modulation in Healthy and Hypertensive Individuals: Pilot Study of a Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial
Leite Souza et al. · Physiotherapy Research International · 2026 · n = 28
controlled trialstaVNSEar your heart: transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on heart rate variability in healthy young participants
Forte et al. · PeerJ · 2022 · n = 28
controlled trialstaVNSLow-Level Tragus Stimulation Modulates Atrial Alternans and Fibrillation Burden in Patients With Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Kulkarni et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · 2021 · n = 28
controlled trialstaVNSSustained blood pressure reduction associated with percutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in hypertensive chronic pain patients: a retrospective dual-center analysis
Berger et al. · Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine · 2026 · n = 24
observational studiestaVNSNeural mechanisms of atrial fibrillation
Park et al. · Current opinion in cardiology · 2012
narrative reviewstaVNSArrhythmias and vagus nerve stimulation
Zhang et al. · Heart failure reviews · 2011
narrative reviewstaVNS