To understand how the heart responds to physiological demands, heart rate variability (HRV) has been explored extensively in previous literature. However, less attention has been given to how beat-to-beat directional changes in HR, deceleration, acceleration, or no change, evolve across the lifespan. In this study, we applied a Markov transition matrix approach to electrocardiogram (ECG) data from 56 healthy participants to examine age-related differences in symbolic HR transitions. The participants were divided into two age groups: young (18–19 years old, n = 40) and advanced age (75–92 years old, n= 16). The transition matrix was constructed based on three states: HR deceleration (state -1), no change in HR (state 0), and HR acceleration (state 1). The results of this analysis show significant differences between the young and advanced age groups in terms of transitioning from state -1 to the other states. Additionally, the probability of transitioning to state 0 from another state is higher in the advanced age group compared to the young group. Both findings suggest a reduction in parasympathetic activity and HRV.