Wearables & Heart Beats: Part 1

Smart gadgets are all around, in TVs, phones, cameras, cars, kitchens, and also on our skin! Bands, watches, rings, earbuds, and even shirts can monitor our bodies and give insights into our health and disease.

The global Wearable Technology Market size was worth about 115.8 (USD billion) in 2021 and is predicted to grow to around 380.5 (USD billion) by 2028

Wearables can measure the pulse and can even tell the heart rhythm. How can wearable technology’s ability to monitor rate and rhythm help in medicine? How accurate are they? Can physicians rely on them in the diagnosis and treatment of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia)?

The European heart rhythm association (EHRA) has recently released a practical guide on the use of digital devices to detect and manage arrhythmia and we are here to review it.
I will not discuss medical devices such as Holter monitors or implantable devices that can deliver therapy such as pacemakers and life vests as they are well established, are prescribed and used by a physician, and fall outside the scope of this episode.

We will give an overview of
Devices that anyone can buy and use outside the hospitals; types and advantages of each
Clinical application to evaluate palpitation