Smart watches are capable of more than just monitoring your heart rate and steps or checking your emails and texts. Many of the gadgets measure your heart's electrical activity, much like an electrocardiogram (ECG) you may obtain at the doctor's office. In clinical settings, those examinations assess electrical activity for around 15 seconds from various sites on your limbs and chest. However, smart watches just use your wrist to monitor activity. Is that sufficient to identify cardiac issues?
Fitness trackers, whether they are specialised wrist-worn gadgets or software integrated into smartwatches, are growing in popularity. In one study, 83,000 healthy individuals (aged 50 to 70) were given one-lead, 15-second ECGs that resembled those on smart watches. Their health was then monitored for up to 11 years. Scientists analysed the recordings and discovered that individuals with premature ventricular contractions, a type of extra heartbeat, on their ECGs were more likely to develop heart failure later on, while those with premature atrial contractions were more likely to develop atrial fibrillation. It is anticipated that smart watches will become more and more helpful in identifying potential heart problems early on. Today, we will explore the benefits and drawbacks of modern digital technologies.
Also Read: Understanding How Heart Disease Impacts Your Body
What can Smartwatches or Fitness Trackers Monitor?
Smartwatches or fitness trackers—also referred to as "wearables"—can track a number of health metrics, including heart rate, oxygen saturation, sleep patterns, and steps. Nowadays, the majority can be linked to applications to monitor your progress and patterns. Blood pressure monitoring and single-lead ECGs—a basic form of electrocardiogram with a single electrode sensor—that can read heart rates and rhythms are also included in some systems. However, appropriate medical testing is more reliable than these.Read Also: Heart Attack vs Heart Failure: Key Differences You Should Know
Benefits of Smartwatch With Health Monitor
They can be helpful in monitoring physical activity or encouraging individuals to increase their level of physical activity. Until they start using a fitness tracker, many people are unaware of the minimal activity they actually undertake each day. These gadgets can also keep people motivated, make it easier and more enjoyable to move frequently, and assist them in setting and achieving fitness objectives.How Accurate Are Heart Monitor Watches?
Depending on the numbers being tracked, the device being used, and the extent of activity, accuracy may vary. For instance, the most accurate metric has typically been determined to be the step count. Heart rate and other numbers change based on the tracker and the level of activity. According to a study, the more intense the exercise, the less accurate the heart rate reading.You shouldn't pay too much attention to a single reading from a fitness tracker. Reading overall patterns is the most essential. For example, if you notice a lower or higher heart rate than usual, it is unlikely to be cause for concern. However, if you find strange readings on a regular basis, or if the numbers trend up or down in a bizarre manner, consult your cardiologist.
Can Heart Trackers Detect Heart Problems?
Fitness trackers are beneficial for maintaining our health, but it is crucial to realise that they aren't medical devices. They cannot substitute medical tests and are not intended to provide a diagnosis. They are typically used to track fitness. Yet they can be useful for monitoring heart health, so if you notice any figures or trends that concern you, report to your doctor or nurse so that they can investigate and reach a diagnosis timely.Disadvantages of Heart Fitness Trackers
One of the most significant disadvantages of fitness trackers is that they can cause health anxiety. It's natural to become too focused on the numbers. Anxiety can cause a temporary increase in heart rate. It can also have a detrimental impact on your lifestyle choices, causing you to eat unhealthy foods, smoke, or consume more alcohol. This, in turn, increases your risk of heart and blood circulation problems. Anxiety can have a significant impact on our sleep and general quality of life. Wearing a fitness tracker may be more detrimental to some people's health than not wearing one at all. It could be preferable to have your numbers checked at your doctor's clinic or pharmacy if this is the case.Also Read: What to Know About Slow Heart Rate?
Can Heart Fitness Trackers Detect Atrial Fibrillation?
In order to detect irregular rhythms like atrial fibrillation, certain fitness trackers come with a single lead electrocardiogram (ECG), which examines the electrical activity of the heart. However, the wearable's position and your actions may have an impact on the outcome. They are also able to identify harmless extra heartbeats. The quality of the ECG reading may be impacted by all of these factors.Your doctor would monitor you with a 12-lead ECG, which is more precise and thorough than a single-lead ECG. If you notice any unusual readings, you should contact your doctor so he/she can advise you on whether more testing is necessary.
How to Choose the Best Heart Fitness Tracker for You?
It can be challenging to determine which fitness tracker type will best suit your needs out of the wide range of variety now available in the market and online platforms. Before making a purchase, you should consider the following questions:- What would you like to monitor? And why?
- Is monitoring going to help or make you more anxious?
- What is your desired budget?
- Do you want an app to go along with it?
- Is it easy to use if you have other health conditions like vision impairment or hand mobility issues?
Conclusion
The Apple Watch's integrated ECG tool for identifying atrial fibrillation (afib), a fast, irregular heart rhythm that increases the risk of stroke, has already received FDA approval. Your doctor can assess your risk of stroke using an easy method that considers your age, sex, and other medical conditions if your watch picks up this arrhythmia. Your doctor may suggest anti-clotting drugs to reduce your chance of stroke if your risk is high enough and you are not at high risk for bleeding.Can smartwatches detect heart problems accurately? Learn how wearable technology monitors heart health, detects irregularities, and supports early diagnosis from our expert cardiologist at Asian Heart Institute, one of the best cardiac hospitals in India.
FAQs
Q1: Can smartwatches detect heart problems?A: Yes, many smartwatches can track heart rate, detect irregular rhythms like atrial fibrillation (AFib), and monitor overall heart health, but they are not a replacement for medical devices.
Q2: How do smartwatches monitor heart health?
A: Smartwatches use optical sensors (PPG) and, in some cases, electrical sensors (ECG) to measure heart rate, rhythm, and variability. Some models also track oxygen levels and stress indicators.
Q3: Can a smartwatch detect a heart attack?
A: No, smartwatches cannot diagnose or detect heart attacks. They can alert users to abnormal heart rates or rhythms, but chest pain or discomfort should always be evaluated by a doctor.
