Breathprints: Breath Like Fingerprints is the New Biometric, Says Study

A study published in Nature on June 12, 2025 claims that breathing is the new fingerprint and it's telling on you. Health and environment journalist Humberto Basilio, in this article, discusses how exhale-inhale patterns are unique to an individual and can be used in identification, correlating BMI and studying mental health. Today, we will reiterate the study in a simple way and learn more about how breathing, like fingerprints, is your new identity.

Breathing Patterns – The Inhale Exhale Cycle That Builds Your Breathing ID

The way you breathe in and breathe out is controlled by the brain. It is determined by several factors like the oxygen needs, metabolism state and mental condition at a given point. Noam Sobel, a neurobiologist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, thus wondered, 'if your brain functions differently from mine, shouldn't every breathing pattern also be unique?'

For example, for a person with a higher BMI type, the breathing pattern while sleeping will differ from a person with a low BMI. This leaves a possibility that breathing patterns may also be used to pin:

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Lung health

• Overall health

That's not it.

Like the swirling patterns of your fingertips, exhaling and inhaling is also a pattern with a certain frequency, wavelength and force that is personal to every individual, forming a breath ID.

“In a way, we’re reading the mind through the nose,” says co-author Noam Sobel

Breath Like Fingerprints is the New Biometric – What the Study Says

Researchers developed a small, wearable device that sits on the back of your neck and connects to tubes placed under your nose. This gadget quietly tracks your breathing as you go about your day—and even while you sleep.

For the study, participants wore the device for 24 hours.

What followed?

• The team then analysed the airflow through each nostril, measuring 24 different factors—things like how long each inhale and exhale lasted and even whether one nostril was working harder than the other.

  
  

• Then they ran all that data through an AI-powered algorithm.

  
  

• When participants returned weeks, months, or even two years later, the system could still recognise them from their breathing patterns. That’s right: just by how they breathed.

  
  

• Using a more detailed analysis with 100 data points, the algorithm could identify individuals with an impressive 96.8% accuracy.

Phase 2 of the study:

Once they nailed the identity part, the scientists asked a deeper question:Could your breath also reveal something about your health?

Turns out—yes.

They compared breathing data with information like BMI (body mass index) and questionnaire scores for depression and anxiety. Even though participants weren’t clinically depressed or anxious, subtle patterns in their breathing still lined up with their emotional states.

For example:

• People with higher BMIs had different breathing profiles during sleep.

• Those with higher anxiety or depression scores inhaled and exhaled in distinct ways.

This means your breath could one day be a window into your mental and physical wellbeing—not unlike how an ECG measures your heart’s rhythm.

Takeaway

Using breath like fingerprints is the new biometric in the coming days. This could be a game-changer for identity verification, health tracking and monitoring therapies. Health enthusiasts, corporates and the military are already using 'breathing techniques' to combat mental health conditions.

What if we could take that further—using breathing patterns to detect early signs of stress, anxiety, or health changes? The researchers are now exploring exactly that – the next step? To discover what healthy, low-stress breathing actually looks like—and teach people how to breathe that way to help reduce anxiety or improve mood.

Turns out every inhale and exhale has a story to tell. Not just about your health, but about who you are and how you feel.

How drmedhcomms Helps Scientific Literature Feel More Digestible

Hi, I am Dr Medha Gupta, Medical Writer & MedComms Expert, and drmedhcomms is my brainchild. I come from a background of clinical practice and medical communications. My expertise lies in that I drive healthcare professionals and HealthTech brands Into 5X More visibility (without ads and paid campaigns) with written content.

I specialise in creating high-quality, evidence-backed healthcare content from scientific publications that aligns with Google’s evolving algorithms — including AI Overviews to help your end-users, the doctors and the patients, understand better.

From optimising keywords and metadata to crafting authoritative, user-focused narratives, we help healthcare brands not just show up but stand out. Whether you're aiming to improve top-funnel awareness or drive conversions through trustworthy content, drmedhcomms ensures your message gets picked up, cited, and trusted — even in an AI-driven search landscape. Let us help you future-proof your healthcare SEO strategy.