Zepp Health Supports Xiamen COPD Early Intervention Project with Smart Wearable Technology

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a common chronic airway disease. In China, the prevalence among individuals aged 40 and above is as high as 13.6%, with nearly 100 million people affected. To promote early diagnosis and treatment of COPD, the Xiamen Municipal Health Commission, in collaboration with The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University/National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases/National Center for Respiratory Medicine, recently launched the “Early Intervention and Standardized Management Project for COPD.” Huami Technology (NYSE: ZEPP), a company deeply engaged in cloud health and smart wearable technologies, will serve as a partner and provide technical and equipment support for this initiative.

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and recipient of the Medal of the Republic, Zhong Nanshan; Zhang Zhihong, Deputy Mayor of Xiamen City; Yao Guanhua, Director of the Xiamen Municipal Health Commission; Zheng Jinping, Deputy Director of the National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases/National Center for Respiratory Medicine; and others attended the launch ceremony.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by high prevalence, high disability rates, high mortality, and a substantial disease burden. It involves a prolonged disease course, recurrent acute exacerbations, and multiple comorbidities, which severely affect the prognosis and quality of life in middle-aged and elderly patients. As one of the leading figures in contemporary Chinese respiratory medicine, Academician Zhong Nanshan began research on chronic bronchitis and emphysema as early as the early 1970s. He has stated that China has a high prevalence rate and a large patient population with COPD; however, due to a lack of early diagnosis and chronic disease management, the majority of patients receive treatment only after symptoms appear, by which time it is often too late. His longstanding aspiration has been to advocate for early diagnosis and timely treatment within the framework of national health, thereby achieving the goals of scientific prevention and control as well as standardized management of COPD.

Zhang Zhihong, Deputy Mayor of Xiamen, stated that this project is of significant importance, as it will further enhance the tiered diagnosis and treatment services for chronic respiratory diseases in Xiamen and provide valuable reference for the prevention and control of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) across China.

It is reported that, leveraging new technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and big data, this project will collaborate with seven tertiary hospitals and 39 primary healthcare institutions across the six administrative districts of Xiamen City to conduct the “Study on Standardized Respiratory Rehabilitation for Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).” The study is expected to enroll approximately 2,000 COPD participants for a 96-week observational trial. Huami Technology will provide intelligent wearable devices and related technical support to monitor participants’ step count, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and sleep duration during the follow-up observation period, thereby providing accurate and reliable data support for the research.

Huami Technology is a global leader in smart wearable technology and cloud-based health services. With cumulative shipments of its smart devices exceeding 100 million units, the company possesses vast amounts of sports and health data, along with extensive experience in big data analytics, and remains committed to advancing research at the forefront of technology-driven health solutions. As early as last year, Huami Technology jointly established the “Joint Laboratory for Wrist-Worn Smart Wearables” with The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University/Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health/National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, led by Academician Zhong Nanshan, and the Guangdong Nanshan Medical Innovation Research Institute. Early intervention and health management for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are among the laboratory’s primary research focuses.

Since its inception, the laboratory has undertaken joint research initiatives focused on predictive modeling and early warning systems for respiratory epidemics, management of chronic respiratory diseases, clinical research on obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), and large-scale screening programs. In the future, the laboratory will further explore the translation of industry-academia-research outcomes, developing wearable-based respiratory therapeutic devices, intelligent sensing and recognition equipment, and home-based smart health monitoring systems tailored for the elderly and individuals with chronic conditions.