Can your Smartwatch detect illness? (Wearable Health Devices) Let's find out!

Do you have a smartwatch? Or have you seen a cool fitness tracker that your friend is using and are you thinking about getting one? Nowadays, many people use these devices to track how many steps they walk per day, how much their heart rate is, and how long they sleep. So are these just a fashion trend , or do they actually have any benefits for our health? Today, let's talk about these wearable health devices.

This is not new, but it is much more advanced now.

Actually, the idea of ​​wearable health devices is not new. Think of eyeglasses as something like that. They've been around since the 13th century. Then, around the middle of the 20th century, the Holter monitor came along, which can monitor your heart rate throughout the day, not just at the doctor's office. And wearable glucose monitors, which allow people with diabetes to easily monitor their blood sugar levels, have been around since 1999.

However, with the advancement of technology, the miniature computers inside these devices have become incredibly advanced and very small. That is why it is possible to install them even in small places like a smartwatch or a wristband. Now, about one in every five people in America uses a smartwatch or fitness tracker.

Are these really good for our health?

Yes, there is growing evidence that using these devices can help you achieve your fitness goals. Consider this scenario. In one study, a group of people over the age of 60 who were at high risk for heart disease were given an exercise program. All were given exercise advice. However, half of them were also given a tracker, such as the popular Fitbit watch. It can track the number of steps they take each day and even set reminders to get up and walk if they have been sitting for a while.

At the end of the study, even though both groups exercised the same amount, those who used the Fitbit walked an additional 2,000 steps per day . This was because they were sitting less when they weren't exercising. They also had better blood pressure reductions than the others.

So how does this happen?

Simply put, these devices give you real-time feedback . For example, if your goal for the day is to walk 10,000 steps, and you look at your watch and it says 8,000, you immediately realize that you haven't reached your goal yet. But as experts say, "We have to act on that feedback and develop strategies to get to the goal. That's the hard part. The watch can't walk for you."

Can smartwatches really detect illness?

Aside from helping with exercise, it's still not clear whether these smartwatches can help manage serious illnesses. However, manufacturers haven't stopped adding new features.

For example, some smartwatches now have sensors that measure blood oxygen levels. This has been very important during COVID-19, as low oxygen levels can be a symptom of COVID even without symptoms. Also, wristbands that measure blood pressure are already available, and those that measure blood sugar levels are coming soon.

One of the most important studies on this topic was the Apple Heart Study. It looked at whether the Apple Watch could detect when a person's heartbeat was irregular. The heart rate sensor itself can detect even an irregular heartbeat. This can be a symptom of a condition called atrial fibrillation (AFib) . AFib is an irregular heartbeat. This increases the risk of blood clots, stroke , and other heart complications.

More than 400,000 people participated in the study. The watch detected a small number of irregular heartbeats. After they were advised to see a doctor, 84% of them were confirmed to have AFib at that time. This shows that these devices have some potential. Some doctors are now using data from patients' Smartwatches to manage their disease.

"Smart" clothing and the future of new things

This technology is not limited to watches. There are now even "smart" clothes.

• LifeVest: This is a vest-like device that can be worn by people at risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). It has electrodes that monitor the heart's rhythm. If the heart rate becomes dangerously fast, the vest delivers an electric shock to try to restore the heart rate.
• Smart clothing: There are even clothes that measure your body's activity while you exercise and let you know about your performance through a mobile app.

In addition to this, many other devices are currently being developed.

• Wearable dialysis devices for people with kidney failure.
• A bracelet that warns people who have recovered from skin cancer (melanoma) when they are exposed to too much sun.
• Sensors that help detect and monitor Parkinson's disease.

How accurate are these devices? Is our information secure?

If you use a device like this, you're probably wondering: "How accurate is this?" and "Will anyone else see my health information?"

According to experts, overall, these devices are good , especially when it comes to counting steps and measuring heart rate. However, there are questions about the accuracy of some things.

As for the privacy of your data, these devices send data to an app on your phone and to a cloud server. That's where your doctor can get the data. However, many manufacturers have made it clear that patient data is secure and will not be shared with third parties.

For some, these devices are a fun way to help them take care of their health. Brandi, who suffers from osteoporosis, wears a bracelet called OsteoBoost every day that she says helps strengthen her bones. She also takes hormone therapy and exercises, so it's unclear if the device alone has improved her bone health. But she says, "I'm really happy with the results, so I'm going to keep doing this good thing."

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