Doctors say people who use smart devices to track their health and fitness need to be aware of what the technology can and cannot track.
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning that smart rings and smart watches that claim to be able to measure blood sugar levels without puncturing the skin cannot do so.
These devices are not approved or cleared by the FDA.
The concern is that patients become dependent on these devices, resulting in inaccurate readings and errors that can be life-threatening.
But doctors say some smartwatches and devices can effectively track other important health and fitness information.
“There are some trackers that just check your step count, and others like watches that tell you how long you sleep, how well you sleep, and your heart rate, which can be important for people with underlying health conditions. “It’s a heart condition,” says Dr. Lakshmi Mehta, a cardiologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Dr. Mehta said because people wear smart devices most of the time, the devices may be able to prevent potential problems that may not be detected by tracking or testing set up by a doctor.
“We’ve had some patients wear monitors for a month, but we haven’t found anything because they’re just infrequent, too infrequent. And if a patient wears these devices, we don’t find anything like… “Oh, you know what they’re going through is real. It’s not anxiety, it’s not something that’s in their head. There’s something real, but the monitor Because you haven’t worn it for a long time, the monitor can’t capture it,” says Dr. .meter
Cardiologists say smart devices have not been proven to help alert people to a potentially dangerous heart rhythm abnormality called atrial fibrillation.
If this condition goes undiagnosed for a long time, the risk of having a stroke increases.
Doctors can track your fitness and health numbers to better understand your health status and remind you to see a doctor if the numbers don’t match up. It has said.
