We ❤ Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers, Do You?

How they serve as health monitors

Smartwatches and other wearable health monitoring devices include electronic gadgets that people can wear and are designed to gather data regarding the user’s health, exercise, and training routines. In this article, we’ll also refer to them simply as wearables.

Below are some examples:

1. Fitness trackers and fitness bands
2. Smartwatches
3. Wearable and portable medical-grade ECG monitors (e.g., QardioCore and Wellue® DuoEK™)
4. Wearable blood pressure monitors (e.g., Omron® Platinum, Withings BPM Connect)
5. Wearable biosensors (e.g., Philips Biosensor BX100, Biofourmis Biovitals Sentinel)
6. Others

There’s no denying that smartwatches and other wearable health devices are fast becoming popular and effective forms of monitoring health in several parts of the world. Smartwatches and fitness trackers are at the peak of this mountainous pile of wearable health monitoring devices. These two groups of products offer the greatest variety of features.

It’s clear from the table below that the demand for wearables, particularly smartwatches and fitness trackers, has risen gradually in all regions of the world. Even with high inflation rates across countries, this demand isn’t expected to slow down or plateau soon.

Number of Connected Wearable Health Monitoring Devices around the World by Region
from 2015 to 2022
(In Millions!)

*Asia Pacific region includes Australia and New Zealand.

Notes on what wearables measure and monitor

Most health parameters enumerated here are based on fitness trackers and smartwatches. Some of them are also applicable to other types of wearables.

Heart rate

You might be interested to know how fast your heart beats while resting and during exercise. Remember that heart rate trackers on smartwatches and fitness bands aren’t as accurate as chest strap heart rate devices. According to a 2017 research study, most chest straps were 99% accurate when squared up against an ECG machine. When compared to an ECG machine, the values for smartwatches and fitness bands range from 90% to 95% accuracy. The accuracy increases when the person is at rest.

Electrocardiogram or ECG

The latest versions of Fitbit Sense, Samsung Galaxy watches, and Apple Watch include US FDA-cleared ECG or electrocardiogram, formally classifying them as medical devices that can alert the user to abnormal heart rhythms. An electrocardiogram is a simple test that records the electrical signals in your ticker (heart). Please be aware that the ECG on a smartwatch only detects abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation. This is not as accurate as the ECG machines you see at the emergency room department and doctor’s office. Some wearables are specifically designed to monitor your heart rhythm and take an ECG, such as QardioCore and Wellue® DuoEK™.

Sleep quality and sleep time

Are you one of those who wear their watches when going to bed? Well, you’re in for a treat. Most wearables have sleep-tracking technology built into the device. Take note that there are also wearable health monitoring devices that are specifically made and tuned to track your sleep (e.g., Oura Ring). Of course, none will beat out polysomnography, the gold standard for objectively measuring sleep. You can rely on sleep trackers and smartwatches when tracking your total sleep time, but not sleep quality.

Blood oxygen levels or SpO2

Most modern fitness trackers and smartwatches have sensors and metrics that detect oxygen levels in your blood. Measurements of oxygen blood levels taken from your wrist are less accurate than those taken from your fingertips (like when using a pulse oximeter at the hospital). The takeaway from this is to take these readings with a grain of salt. The best-case scenario for using these readings would be to use them as baseline values.

Core temperature

Up to the time of writing this article, there’s no medically approved temperature sensor on any smartwatch or fitness tracker. Most wearables that can monitor core temperature do so only during sleep and not on an immediate or instantaneous basis. Some may detect your time of ovulation or if you have a fever. Please promise us that you will not use the temperature readings on your smartwatch as a form of contraception.

Fall detection

The accuracy of a smartwatch and its app to detect a fall is 89%, based on a 2022 study published in the Journal of Internet Medical Research. The study found that the fall would more likely be detected if it happened on the same side as the wrist with the smartwatch.

Crash detection

This newest feature on the latest Apple Watch (Series 8) claims to detect when a person has been involved in a car crash. An alert message will be sent to emergency services if the user remains unresponsive after the perceived crash. It would be unwise to comment early on whether this feature is accurate or reliable. Rest assured, research studies will be conducted to verify this. For now, don’t attempt to test this feature by yourself, okay?

Steps

Next to heart rate, the step counter on a wearable is arguably the most familiar to you. Any wearable nowadays has this feature. Other parameters measured or tracked by wearables include distance travelled, floors climbed, calories burned, active minutes, specific exercises (running, walking, biking, etc.), and GPS location. GPS stands for the global positioning system. It’s a system of 30-plus satellites going around the Earth. These satellites send out signals received by your GPS-equipped wearable, informing you of your location, the distance you may have travelled, and a workout map.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND SPECIAL GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT CAN BENEFIT FROM USING A SMARTWATCH (OR OTHER WEARABLES)

is one of the most common arrhythmias. An arrhythmia is a medical condition in which the heart beats with an abnormal or irregular rhythm. This condition may not show enough symptoms to be detected. A smartwatch with a built-in ECG feature can conveniently screen a person at risk for AFib. AFib increases a person’s chances of having a stroke by up to five times. Make sure that the ECG feature of the wearable brand you choose has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (or a similar government entity) in your country.

You may not be familiar with it, but many people with dementia receive and prefer home-based care to improve their health and quality of life, and maintain independence. There are smartwatches and other wearable health monitoring devices that are specifically tailored to the needs of people with dementia. These devices include medication reminders, emergency call function to caregivers, heart rate monitoring, real-time tracking of a patient in a predefined area, alerts the caregiver if the patient leaves home, guides the patient to return to a pre-configured home address, and fall detection.

A person with little to no exercise and spending too much time sitting for a more significant part of the day has an increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, lipid disorders, colon cancer, osteoporosis, stroke, anxiety, and depression. Wearables can serve as reminders to periodically get up and start moving. And no, moving to the other end of the couch doesn’t count.

Are other groups of people that can benefit from wearables. Notifications, reminders, and additional information that vibrate on your wrist and notify the user give tremendous practical value.

Perhaps the future of wearables in the medical field is best exemplified among the elderly population. Features like fall detection, ECG, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and reminders prove their most effective use among this subset of the population. Data from their wearables may be forwarded or sent to their doctors for proper interpretation. Furthermore, wearables make excellent Christmas gifts for Grandma and Grandpa.

These people want all the numbers, statistics, and other information these wearables can provide. They graciously absorb and interpret the data. They love health and fitness. Enough said.

WHICH WEARABLE IS BEST FOR YOU? BELOW IS OUR GUIDE ON THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOUR PURCHASE.

A big chunk of the tips listed here is geared towards choosing the most suitable fitness trackers and smartwatches for your needs. Remember that some of them also apply to other wearable health monitoring devices.

1. Establish who and what you are first.

It may seem odd or funny, but this tip is essential before buying any wearable. How old are you? What is your profession? If you’re in your senior years, you might consider getting a wearable with features like ECG and fall detection. To top it off, a wearable with a large screen would be enlightening. If you’re young and athletic, you can lean towards wearables with many health stats and metrics that integrate well with your smartphone through an application. If you’re a professional mountain climber (yes, they exist), you would want something that can withstand extremes of weather, temperature, and has water resistance.

Are you easily distracted or lose focus because of notifications? A smartwatch or fitness tracker that functions independently from your smartphone may be better suited for you.

2. What's your budget range?

There’s always a budget range when buying something for most people. It immediately narrows down the plethora of available wearables. Determine your budget range and narrow it down from there.

3. Is it compatible with your smartphone?

Let’s say you want a wearable that can integrate with your smartphone. Are they compatible with each other? Confirm first that it will work with your smartphone. While at it, check out the apps you can use with your wearable.

4. Know the health and fitness features of the specific wearable.

This is the best time to watch YouTube reviews or read comparisons over the Internet regarding the wearable you’re considering. Another option is to go to the store and try out the wearable.

5. Battery life.

Always consider the wearable's battery life, especially when you’re planning to use it for an activity, workout, or training that may take some time. The most basic wearables tend to have the best battery life. The more features you add to the wearable, the greater are its chances of having a shorter battery life. Stay away from wearables with a body-heat-powered feature, zinc-carbon batteries, or solar-powered batteries. The durability and reliability of these types of technologies are still being evaluated. At the very least, choose a wearable that can last a full day.

6. Check how the manufacturer of the wearable handles cybersecurity and privacy.

Fitness trackers and smartwatches are connected to the Internet, and data exchange happens with cloud platforms and other services. Pick a manufacturer that prioritises privacy and security at all their products and service layers.

7. Custom chips versus manufacturers that don’t have their own custom chips.

Some wearable manufacturers develop their own processors (in-house silicon chips) that they put inside their products. This setup provides better marriage between the software and hardware, leading to faster performance, longer battery life, and increased device longevity.

8. Do you like talking to your wearable device?

Consider the conversational platforms that use various AI (artificial intelligence) technologies that bring to life human-like voice conversation. You can make flight reservations, play music, send messages, etc. while talking to your wrist and without accessing your smartphone.

Most of us don’t need a wearable health monitoring device or smartwatch to enjoy our daily activities. We were doing fine before they came along. But they do make our lives more enjoyable, challenging, and exciting. Despite their acceptable limitations, these wearables have the potential to be applied or adapted in ways that could positively influence our health. Just try not to get tunnel vision with the numbers and statistics they collect for you. Use them only as a guide to monitor your health.

Rigorous research studies are still needed to validate the use of wearable health monitor devices in chronic medical conditions and emergencies. At the rate we’re going, and the steps that manufacturers, consumers, and concerned authorities are taking, the future of wearables looks promising and impactful.

We have another article on how wearables can improve your health and performance that you might want to read. Click here.