Skip to main content

Smartwatch Heart Data Can Catch Pending Problems

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Jan 27, 2025.

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Jan. 27, 2025 -- Sue VanWassenhove’s adult children got her a smartwatch to track her health after she fell a couple times.

Fiddling with the device, VanWassenhove found out that she had a pattern of her heart rate dropping, and immediately lined up an appointment with a heart doctor.

“Having a smartwatch is very empowering because I’m not being passive with my healthcare,” VanWassenhove, 78, of Upper Arlington, Ohio, said in a news release.

“I have some heart issues that need monitored, and it’s important for me to talk to my cardiologist or primary care doctor about any health issues that show up on my watch,” she added.

More people should follow VanWassenhove’s lead, experts say.

It’s increasingly easier for people to self-monitor their heart health, using devices like smartwatches, finger heart monitors and automatic blood pressure cuffs.

But few people are passing on that useful data to their doctor, according to a nationwide survey commissioned by the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans are using a device on a regular basis to monitor their heart health, the survey found.

The most popular options include smartwatches (32%), portable blood pressure machines (31%), fitness apps (19%) and wearable fitness/movement trackers (13%).

Unfortunately, only 1 in 4 people using that data to prompt a conversation about their heart health with a doctor, the survey found.

“These self-monitoring devices are really helpful to patients and their healthcare providers because they can potentially catch things early,” VanWassenhove’s doctor, Dr. Laxmi Mehta, said in a news release.

“For example, if patients are monitoring their blood pressure at home and notice it’s been going up over time, they may want to discuss it with their doctor sooner rather than waiting for their annual visit. Or they may capture some irregular heart rhythms on their devices, like atrial fibrillation, much sooner than would be diagnosed at the doctor’s office,” added Mehta, director of preventative cardiology and women’s cardiovascular health at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.

VanWassenhove has sleep apnea, which affects her heart rate and breathing. That prompted her to keep a close eye on her watch’s heart data.

During an appointment with Mehta, VanWassenhove learned her smartwatch could perform an EKG reading, tracking the electrical signals in her heart.

What’s more, she could send the results to Mehta through her electronic medical chart.

“A normal heart rate is between 60 to 100 beats per minute without exercise,” Mehta said. “Heart rates can vary due to heart conditions or a variety of non-heart related reasons such as infection, dehydration, anxiety or thyroid disorders. When someone’s heart rate or rhythm seems different than usual, it’s best for them to speak with their doctor.”

The survey involved 1,008 people polled by telephone and on the web from Dec. 16-18. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

Sources

  • Ohio State University, news release, Jan. 22, 2024

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted January 2025

Read this next

FDA Authorizes First AI Platform for Breast Cancer Prediction

FRIDAY, June 6, 2025 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted de novo authorization to CLAIRITY BREAST, a first-in-class, image-based platform that can help predict a...

4 States Ask FDA to Lift Rules on Abortion Pill Mifepristone

FRIDAY, June 6, 2025 — Attorneys general from four states are asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to lift restrictions on mifepristone, a pill used in...

Long-Lasting HIV Prevention Shot Headed Toward Approval

FRIDAY, June 6, 2025 — A new injection to prevent HIV is expected to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later this month. If approved, the shot...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.