Wearable devices are enhancing heart-health monitoring

Wearable health technology devices are revolutionizing the way we monitor heart health. With a growing demand for these cutting-edge products, wearable devices can empower people to effortlessly collect data, screen for diseases and enhance their overall wellness. And newer technology is making them more accurate and reliable than ever. 

What can wearable devices do?

Wearable devices can help users enhance their sports performance, manage health conditions, get ahead of medical emergencies and monitor changes in their body. Different wearable technologies can:

• Monitor movement patterns, which could encourage a more active lifestyle.
• Track activity, such as steps and calories burned, as well as sleep.
• Identify falls. This can be helpful for seniors or those prone to seizures.
• Check vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose levels and body temperature. This can provide a window into the wearer’s overall wellness.
• Use sensors to collect data that is transmitted to a smartphone or app.
• Collect biometric data, such as electrocardiography (ECG) that tracks the electrical function of the heart and heart rate variability (HRV), which is the variation in the time between heart beats. This can be valuable for individuals with medical conditions such as atrial fibrillation (AFib) to track irregular heart rhythms.

What types of devices are available?

There are many types of devices that can meet different needs. The three main groups of devices are:

1. Consumer models: These user-friendly devices, such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, chest straps, rings and armbands, are available in stores or online. These devices can be useful tools to help users lose weight by tracking their steps and calories, for example.
2. Medical-grade models: Usually prescribed by a doctor, these devices often offer more features or allow direct data transmission to a health care professional, so they can monitor the user’s health more closely.
3. Implantable devices: Reserved for individuals with serious heart conditions, these types of devices, including pacemakers, defibrillators and loop recorders, are surgically implanted to manage and monitor heart health.

How can these devices improve health care?

Thanks to the technology behind wearable devices, people can feel like they are in their health care professional’s office, even when they are at home. Wearable technology can help:

• Get people interested in tracking their health conditions.
• Facilitate early intervention by health care professionals.
• Improve cost efficiency in health care.
• Boost patient engagement.
• Increase an individual’s understanding of their body and vital signs. This could lead to more closely following the recommendations of their health care team.
• Benefit seniors as they manage their health throughout the aging process.
• Provide real-time data, offering insights outside of a doctor’s office or a hospital.
• Offer automatic data storage, eliminating the need for manual recording.
• Advance research into cardiovascular health.

Although wearable devices can offer many benefits to monitor our health, experts stress that these devices should complement, not replace, regular medical checkups with your health care team.