Your breath could reveal your identity, BMI, anxiety, depression and even sleep patterns: Study

Hindustan Times

19 hours ago

Move over fingerprints and facial recognition, your breath might be your new ID. A new study has found that the way you breathe through your nose is uniquely yours, like a fingerprint. Scientists call it a "nasal respiratory signature," and it remains remarkably stable over time. Even more intriguing? This distinct breathing pattern can offer insights into your body weight and mental health. (Also read: Cardiologist shares 'jadoo diet for weight loss', assures you'll shed at least 7 kg in 1 month without starving yourself )
Israeli scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science have developed a wearable device that identifies people with 96.8% accuracy just by analysing how they breathe through their nose. Published in Current Biology, the study shows that nasal airflow patterns are as unique as fingerprints and stay stable over the years, revealing insights into brain wiring and even mental and physical health.
Breathing may seem simple, but it's shaped by a complex brain network unique to each person. That idea led Israeli scientists to develop the "Nasal Holter," a 22-gram wearable that tracks breathing through both nostrils for 24 hours. Worn by 100 participants during daily activities, the device helped researchers show that breathing patterns are not only unique but also stable over time.
Using computer algorithms, researchers analysed 24 aspects of breathing, such as inhale volume, rate, and nostril airflow cycles, and were able to identify individuals with over 90% accuracy, even years later. The results rivalled voice recognition in precision.
More than just ID data, the patterns revealed intimate health insights. Breathing signatures could predict body mass index, anxiety, depression levels, and even traits linked to autism. For instance, anxious individuals took shorter inhales during sleep, while those with depression showed altered airflow during the day. The device also detected sleep states and the natural nasal cycle with near-perfect accuracy, showing that your breath says more about you than you might think.
Lead author Timna Soroka and her team believe that long-term breathing patterns reveal how the brain controls respiration, offering insights beyond basic lung function. Because breathing reflects brain activity, changes could signal mental health issues or neurological disorders before symptoms appear.
However, it also raises privacy concerns. While the current device requires physical contact, future sensors could potentially detect breathing remotely, making involuntary health surveillance a real possibility.
The study focused on healthy young adults and faced limitations like discomfort from the device and reliance on self-reported mental health data. Still, breathing, unlike fingerprints, is always active and deeply personal, making it both a valuable diagnostic signal and a privacy challenge in the digital age.