How to dynamically adjust zoom in Heatmap.js in OpenLayers

Consider the following code:

heatmap = new OpenLayers.Layer.Heatmap( "Heatmap Layer", map, osm,
{visible: true, radius: radiusForScale[zoom], legend: {position: 'br',title: 'title'}}, 
{isBaseLayer: false, opacity: 0.3, projection: new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:4326")}
);

Background: heatmap.js is great for displaying population densities and such... however, I do not want heatmap.js to control the radius of my points. Instead, I wish to dynamically updated the radius based on a custom zoom function I have created, without having to destroy the heatmap and recreate it every time the zoom changes. Now, this is possible if you add the heatmap to a div as follows:

var config = {
    element: document.getElementById("heatmapArea"),
    radius: 30,
    opacity: 50
};

//creates and initializes the heatmap
var heatmap = h337.create(config);

In this example, it's as simple as updating the JSON object and updating the display. However, this in only a static display assigned to a div, and therefore renders the vector layer useless. Has anyone had any success with this in OpenLayers??

On a side note: I've browsed through all the keys in the heatmap JSON string and there doesn't seem to be a way to change the zoom variable.