A new metric is revealing the hidden physiological cost of modern knowledge work. A senior software executive recently discovered his heart rate sustained near 100 beats per minute during high-stakes meetings—a level typical of a moderate jog—while seated. This insight comes from CuesHub, a new app developed from federally funded research at the University of Memphis, which is launching the concept of "Workload Heart Rate" (WHR) to the public. The app, created by a Public Benefit Corporation, is the first designed to differentiate the beneficial stress of exercise from the toxic strain of mental exhaustion.
Quick Intel
CuesHub introduces "Workload Heart Rate" (WHR), a metric showing heart rate elevation due to mental, not physical, workload.
The app stems from nearly 20 years of NIH and NSF-funded research at the University of Memphis.
Sustained high WHR while sedentary is linked to chronic inflammation, a precursor to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Early pilots show users lowering their WHR by 4–6 beats per minute within 4–6 weeks of using the app's insights.
CuesHub has partnered with PerformancePoint LLC, appointing CEO Brad Federman as an advisor.
The goal is to translate biometric AI into accessible tools for preventing disease by managing cognitive stress.
The Physiology of "Stationary Speeding"
The core insight behind CuesHub is the significant difference between physical and mental stress on the heart. "When your heart works hard during exercise, it strengthens the muscle and clears your arteries," explains Dr. Santosh Kumar, CEO of CuesHub. "But when your heart speeds up due to mental stress while you are sitting still, that energy has nowhere to go. It dissipates into the body, causing low-level, chronic inflammation—a known precursor to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer." This state, termed "stationary speeding," is a common but previously invisible risk in cognitive professions.
From Research to Reversal in the Workplace
CuesHub is built on research from the NIH-funded mDOT Center, translating over $50 million in grant science into a practical application. In early pilots with nurses, physicians, and corporate leaders, users were consistently surprised by how high their heart rates climbed during focused mental tasks. The app provides the data and insights needed to identify and modify these exhaustion patterns. "Early users of CuesHub have lowered their Workload Heart Rate by 4–6 beats per minute within four to six weeks," says advisor Brad Federman of PerformancePoint LLC. "They uncovered and reversed exhaustion patterns they didn't even know existed."
A New Frontier in Preventative Health
CuesHub represents a shift from general wellness tracking to targeted, research-backed physiological monitoring. As a wearable AI startup born from deep academic research, its mission is to help people not just live longer, but live longer free of preventable chronic diseases. By making advanced biometric AI accessible and privacy-preserving, CuesHub aims to transform our understanding of daily work's impact on long-term health, empowering individuals and organizations to build genuinely healthier cultures.
About CuesHub
CuesHub is a wearable AI startup based in Memphis, TN, dedicated to helping people not just live longer, but live longer, disease-free. Born from deep university research, it translates cutting-edge biometric AI into accessible, privacy-preserving tools that transform lives.
About PerformancePoint LLC
PerformancePoint LLC helps organizations build thriving cultures where leaders coach their teams, employees engage, and customers win. PerformancePoint helps companies discover their possible.
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