Don't just track your steps: 4 health points to monitor on your smartwatch

From smart wearables for illustration nan Apple Watch aliases Garmin trackers to nan celebrity-sported Oura ring and trendy WHOOP strap, wellness tech has travel a agelong measurement from conscionable search your steps.

"There's tons of different metrics now that we tin statesman to look at," says Dr. Davin Lundquist, family expert and main aesculapian serviceman astatine Augmedix. "Anytime that we tin person a greater consciousness of our wellness and paying attraction to it, it tends to power behaviour successful a affirmative way."

Here are 4 that doctors opportunity tin beryllium useful to monitor:

Sleep 

Most patient adults tin use from slumber search to immoderate level, says Dr. Carlos M. Nunez, main aesculapian serviceman astatine aesculapian instrumentality institution ResMed.

"Many users aren't search nan correct accusation and tin extremity up fixating aliases misinterpreting nan information alternatively than watching nan larger trends that nan trackers tin thief to indicate," Nunez says. "Users should commencement by search their sleep-wake rhythm to found a accordant regular of quality sleep, which investigation has shown tin lead to improved concentration, accrued productivity and emotion wide much positive."

Heart rate

Tracking your bosom complaint tin springiness you a image into your bosom health. The little your resting bosom rate, wrong reason, nan healthier your bosom is, explains Lundquist. 

"If you're doing much aerobic exercise, complete time, your resting bosom complaint should decline. And that would beryllium an denotation that your bosom is getting healthier," he says. 

Respiratory rate

"Certain devices tin besides supply penetration into imaginable cardinal wellness indicators - specified arsenic your respiratory rates, activity level and more," Nunez says. "For immoderate users, nan information tin besides bespeak really your assemblage is responding to stress."

Respiratory complaint is simply a metric that whitethorn alert personification to different wellness issues, too. That's thing Michael Snyder, a Stanford School of Medicine professor who has studied smartwatches, knowledgeable firsthand aft coming down pinch COVID-19. Though he took a COVID trial that came backmost negative, his ain investigation app alerted him to abrupt changes successful his breathing and bosom rates.

"I listened to my COVID test, and I should person listened my smartwatch," he told CBS News in a 2022 interview.

Cardiac rhythm

Tracking metrics for illustration cardiac rhythm whitethorn thief alert patients to a bigger problems.  

"I had a diligent whose Apple Watch told them that they had a tally of atrial fibrillation," Lundquist said. "We sewage this personification into a cardiologist — judge enough, it was confirmed and nan diligent was adequately treated."

"Afib (atrial fibrillation) is simply a large deal," cardiologist Dr. Tara Narula told "CBS Mornings" successful 2018 arsenic Apple rolled retired electrocardiogram exertion successful its smartwatches to thief observe nan bosom issue. "It affects millions of Americans, increases hospitalization rates (and) increases decease and bosom failure."

It besides increases consequence for perchance debilitating strokes by 5 times, she added.

"The problem pinch afib is that it tin beryllium asymptomatic, truthful you tin beryllium stepping astir and not cognize you person it while you're astatine accrued consequence of stroke," she explained, noting that a search instrumentality could thief empower patients, but could besides lead to mendacious alarm: "Anxiety, mendacious positives, flooding doctors' offices pinch calls. There are decidedly downsides, but I deliberation this has nan imaginable to really beryllium very adjuvant down nan road,"

How meticulous is nan data?

Health trackers person travel a agelong way, doctors says, but you shouldn't trust connected these devices for 100% accuracy aliases diagnosis. The FDA has specifically warned against immoderate instrumentality that claims to measurement humor sweetener without needles, since inaccuracies could lead to superior wellness consequences.

For different types of tracking, "The accuracy of immoderate of nan smartwatches is still a small spot successful question, though pinch each procreation they're getting better. So I deliberation overall, physicians are getting much assured successful trusting these devices," Lundquist says. Plus, arsenic he points out, users besides person to return disconnected nan instrumentality to charge, meaning information won't beryllium recorded 24/7. 

While trackers tin beryllium a "valuable instrumentality for many," Nunez says nan information shouldn't beryllium utilized to diagnose superior slumber aliases wellness issues.

"Ultimately, slumber search devices tin thief to empower users to group and execute wellness goals but are not a substitute for general test aliases master aesculapian care," he says. 

They tin besides thief physicians partner pinch their patients, Lundquist says.

"As these applications go much mainstream, nan expertise to show up successful your pinch your doctor's appointment, propulsion up your telephone and show them your metrics would beryllium a awesome measurement for america to partner pinch our patients and thief them spot wherever there's imaginable opportunities aliases problems," he says.

In:
• Exercise
• Sleep
• Apple Watch