Mobile Health Revolution in Cardiology: Wearables and Apps Transform Heart Disease Prevention and Management

Want a stronger, healthier heart? For now, living healthily is the best way to maintain cardiac health. According to Ellie Broughton’s latest findings, certain new technologies—such as wearable health devices—may provide substantial support in helping you sustain a healthy lifestyle.

Among all diseases threatening our physical health, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are the most prominent. Globally, the number of deaths caused by cardiovascular and cerebrovascular conditions is the highest among all fatal diseases. However, many risk factors for these diseases are directly linked to our lifestyle. According to the World Health Organization, most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by modifying lifestyle behaviors that contribute to their development, such as smoking, unhealthy dietary habits, physical inactivity, and excessive consumption of foods high in blood pressure-raising sodium, sugar, and fat.

According to a U.S. journal on cardiac pathology,For patients who have already developed cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, adhering to an exercise regimen—even at a minimal level of just 5–10 minutes per day—can significantly reduce their risk of mortality.

Over the past decade, an increasing number of physicians have called for the widespread use of statins—a class of medications commonly used to prevent cerebrovascular disease. This demand peaked after the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), a public health guidance body, issued official recommendations. In these guidelines, NICE advised hospitals to prescribe statins even to patients with only a 10% risk of developing cerebrovascular disease over the next ten years.

But can this alone prevent the onset of disease and enable a healthy lifestyle? In reality, challenges persist. Nevertheless, among all the new technologies dedicated to helping people lead healthier lives, health apps on mobile phones are the most popular.Whether it’s MyFitnessPal or the NHS Stop Smoking app, they not only monitor your heart health but also make it easier for you to lead a healthier lifestyle.

For example, atrial fibrillation (AFib) is one of the leading risk factors for stroke, as it causes irregular heartbeats that disrupt normal blood flow. This turbulent blood flow can lead to the formation of blood clots at any time; if a clot travels to a region of the brain, it can block blood supply to that area, ultimately resulting in a stroke.

Home Monitor

Generally speaking, only hospitals or clinics can diagnose atrial fibrillation in patients, but a company called AliveCor has realized thatTheoretically, patients can also detect their own atrial fibrillation at home.To this end, they have developed a mobile app and a smartphone accessory to detect atrial fibrillation by monitoring patients' heartbeats.

Matthew Fay is a general practitioner with a strong interest in cardiology and an expert in the clinical diagnosis of atrial fibrillation. He currently runs his own company, which is dedicated to using the aforementioned app to detect arrhythmias, abnormal heartbeats, and irregular heart rhythms in patients. These conditions are often accompanied by symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness, syncope, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. To date, his company remains the only provider of app-based detection services in the UK.

“Among all new technologies dedicated to helping people lead healthy lives, health apps have proven to be the most popular.”

The greatest advantage of leveraging mobile phone services is that most people carry their phones when going out. Therefore, this testing device remains virtually inseparable from the patient.

He has established numerous cases in which this device successfully detected pathological conditions. One patient, who had been plagued by the aforementioned symptoms for 17 years, consulted three cardiologists across two countries without receiving a definitive diagnosis; one of the physicians even attributed his condition to a psychiatric disorder. However, after using Fay’s device for just five days, the patient was diagnosed with arrhythmia and abnormal heartbeats.

However, Fay also pointed out that he only employs this technique when evaluating patients presenting with intermittent palpitations, as these symptoms are already a significant precursor to arrhythmia. Meanwhile, he noted that wearable devices have not yet gained recognition in clinical diagnostics, nor can they provide compelling evidence to persuade the NHS (National Health Service) to adopt them. Therefore, it remains unlikely that wearable devices will achieve widespread adoption among the general population and thereby transform the current landscape of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Fay resignedly stated, “Ultimately, the prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases is relatively straightforward, albeit somewhat tedious. Given the severe consequences of these conditions, our failure to effectively implement preventive measures is indeed difficult to justify.”

Internet of Things

Currently, the most fashionable wearable devices are activity trackers. Among the activity trackers available on the market, popular models include the Jawbone series, the Fitbit series, and Nike’s Fuelband series. These trackers transmit received health data directly to the internet or to another tracking device. This mode of information exchange is known as “machine-to-machine communication” or the “Internet of Things” (IoT). In addition, these trackers can connect to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Consequently, these mobile devices equipped with trackers enable continuous monitoring and comparison of your physical activities and energy expenditure anytime, anywhere.

However, these devices also present certain challenges. Tom Dawson, founder of the UK-based wearable device development company Rescon, stated, “When developers design a wearable device, they need to address three major issues.”

First,Before we commence R&D, we need to identify a driving force to sustain our research and development efforts.This momentum may stem from rising levels of public knowledge, shifts in traditional beliefs, or even a societal crisis.

Second, we are concerned that once the device is successfully developed, people may begin to overstate the role of advanced technology in health, thereby neglecting the importance of their own agency. A rich knowledge base and relentless personal effort are the best guarantees for leading a healthy life.“People cannot expect wearable devices or apps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease once and for all. To lower their risk, individuals ultimately must rely on themselves. Wearable devices and apps are merely tools—tools that can bring about positive changes in people’s lives and help them break bad habits in their daily routines.”

Third, echoing Fay’s perspective, Dr. Dawson also believes that the third urgent issue to be addressed isIt is essential to raise societal awareness of the importance of healthy living.

Wearable devices do not solve all patients’ problems and only provide short-term benefits. Deborah Lupton, a sociologist at the University of Canberra in Australia, is currently researching self-tracking and digital health technologies. She stated, ““Many people are currently purchasing wearable devices and apps, with most genuinely intending to improve their health. However, these individuals generally do not use such devices over an extended period.”

At the end of the day, intuition is sometimes the best app for monitoring our health.Lupton concluded, “Do not place excessive trust in electronic devices. When monitoring and assessing our health status, we should integrate various other sources of information—such as our own subjective bodily sensations—in addition to reviewing the data displayed on these devices, thereby obtaining a more comprehensive assessment.”

Wearable Technologies That Help You Maintain Good Health

1. Measurement of Daily Physical Activity

Physical inactivity and excessive obesity are two major factors that predispose individuals to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.The Fitbit series of wearable devices can help you manage these two key factors. Although the Fitbit series is not specifically designed for individuals at high risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, it has become one of the most common wearable devices preferred by patients with such conditions, similar to other activity trackers on the market.

Fitbit’s latest product, the Fitbit Force, was officially launched last October. Its biggest selling point is the electroluminescent display that shows both the time and daily activity metrics.

Fitbit’s products resemble a watch or a bracelet. They can transmit the wearer’s information in real time, such as daily exercise volume and sleep duration. Wearers can log in to Fitbit’s website or app to review their data and assess whether their lifestyle is healthy.

According to reports, last May, the Fitbit series accounted for nearly half of the entire wearable device market. In the first quarter of 2014 alone, Fitbit sold nearly one million units.Product.

2. Measurement of Walking Distance

Leonardo da Vinci first conceived the concept of the pedometer.But it was not until 1780 that a watchmaker turned this notion into reality. This watchmaker invented the world’s first mechanical device capable of measuring step count and walking distance.

Although pedometers became hugely popular in Japan in the 1960s, they had a fatal flaw: inaccurate data. It was discovered that pedometers could be fooled under certain circumstances. By holding the device and tapping or knocking it against a hard surface, users could simulate the motion of walking. This form of manipulation caused the pedometer to mistakenly register an excessively high level of physical activity.

Nowadays, multifunctional devices such as smartphones and iPods have become commonplace. These devices can easily perform the tasks previously handled by pedometers. Modern smartphones are equipped with built-in accelerometers. Accelerometers detect subtle movements caused by force and slight changes in device elevation—phenomena that occur only during actual walking—thereby monitoring your steps. To achieve more accurate step data, some smartphones also incorporate dedicated coprocessors along with accelerometers integrated with compasses and gyroscopes.

3. Auscultation of Heart Sounds

Have you ever heard the sound of blood flowing through your ears after running?The Ear Is the Optimal Site for Heart Rate MeasurementAnd the designers of these new headphones naturally seized this opportunity, inventing headphones capable of measuring heart rate.

These earbuds are designed to fit snugly inside your ears. Only at such an intimate proximity can they accurately monitor your heartbeat, transmitting the data back to the accompanying app. This allows you to analyze the information and observe changes in your heart rate during exercise. You will also gain access to key metrics, such as precise walking distance, calorie expenditure, and whether your heart is under excessive strain. Furthermore, when not being used for heart rate monitoring, these earbuds function as standard audio headphones.

Both LG and Intel are producing this type of earphone. LG’s HeartRate series can customize a training plan for each customer. Meanwhile, Intel has partnered with SMS to launch a battery-free earphone. Another option on the market is produced by Bragi; this earphone features 4GB of internal storage for music.

4. Measure Blood Pressure

Regardless of whether measuring blood pressure is truly an effective method for disease prevention, you must admit that today’s blood pressure monitoring devices are far more streamlined than the outdated models of the past. In the past, blood pressure monitoring involved attaching numerous cables to your body, each connected to multiple display screens nearby. Such monitoring methods have long become obsolete.

What is currently in use is a high-end, sophisticated wireless blood pressure monitor, which allows you toSelf-Monitoring of Blood Pressure at Home. And if you are on the go all day, there is also a monitor that can do thisMonitor your blood pressure while on the moveBy wearing a device on your arm or wrist, the blood pressure monitor can measure your blood pressure and transmit the data via Bluetooth to your smartphone, tablet, or computer. You can then view and analyze your blood pressure readings on these devices, and even share the data with your physician.

Hypertension is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.When patients start taking new medications or adjust their dietary habits, positive physiological changes may occur. If blood pressure monitors can comprehensively and accurately record these improvements and communicate them to the patients, this feedback can serve as a source of encouragement, empowering patients to remain steadfast on their journey toward better health.

Compiled by Huang Ziming | Edited by Mo Renying