A method to determine whether to provide an inhibitor of sympathetic nervous system activity to a human being suffering from an autoimmune disease or fibromyalgia, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- (a) measuring the heart rate variability of a human being suffering from an autoimmune disease or fibromyalgia, to yield heart rate variability data;
- (b) analyzing the heart rate variability data to determine whether there is excessive sympathetic nervous system activity in the heart of the human being;
- and
- (c) providing an inhibitor of sympathetic nervous system activity to the human being if there is excessive sympathetic nervous system activity in the heart of the human being.