Smartwatches and other wearables promise real-time insight into heart health, but the growing volume of data can be confusing and sometimes misleading. From alerts about irregular heart rhythms to daily heart rate trends, more patients are arriving at cardiology appointments with graphs and concerns generated by their devices.
Laura Kelley, media relations specialist in the CU Anschutz Office of Communications, speaks to Michael Rosenberg, MD, an associate professor of cardiology at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, about what wearables can realistically offer, what their limits are and how to use them without creating unnecessary worry.
“If commercial vendors meaningfully engage clinicians in research, wearables could eventually integrate into care for areas like sleep or cognitive health. For now, many companies seem more focused on promoting questionable metrics than producing clinically useful tools.”
– Michael Rosenberg, MD