TRACK YOUR HEALTH | Harnessing Wearables for a Healthier Heart

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Famous author and management guru Peter Drucker said: “You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure.”  While he was referring to running a business, the same thinking can be applied to your health.  With the rise of wearables, we are more empowered than ever to harness the power of technology on our wrists to measure various aspects of our health.  For me, wearable technology is invaluable in providing insight that motivates and helps me stay on top of my health and wellness.  I will share the how and why of my use of wearables in hopes that I may inspire you to “wear your heart on your wrist” and become more engaged in your health.

Before I go further, it’s important to note that while wearables are increasingly able to provide insight into your health, they are supplements to, not substitutes for medical advice by a trained medical professional.

Which Wearable Should I Use?

With all the available options – Garmin, Fitbit, Whoop, Oura, Amazefit, Apple Watch, and more – how do you decide which is right for you?  Determining factors include whether or not you are an Android or iOS person, are you open to a smartwatch or do you want a device to complement a traditional wristwatch, and what functionality is most important for you?  If you are simply looking to track steps, a basic Fitbit or Garmin or even this $15 bespoke pedometer would do the trick.  If sleep tracking is your primary focus, the Oura ring may be your best bet.  If you are an endurance athlete, you may lean toward a more advanced Garmin.  If you are looking for something that provides those functionalities and additional health and safety features, you may want to consider an Apple Watch…or if you are an Android person, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 may be a good choice.  And if you’re interested in understanding the accuracy of the various devices, I highly recommend exploring videos by The Quantified Scientist on YouTube who is a scientist in biological informatics who goes in depth in evaluating device accuracy against controlled scientific methodologies.

For me, I’ve been a long-time Garmin user from the very first generation, a device that was roughly the size of a brick worn on your wrist (a slight exaggeration, but you get the point).  I was an early Apple Watch user but stopped wearing it because I preferred the individuality that came from wearing a nice analog watch.  However, the combination of my heart issues, my interest in capturing as much data about my health (biohacking), and advancements that have made the Apple Watch an indispensable safety device (a quick search will return countless stories like this) brought me back to the Apple Watch.  Today I wear an Apple Watch 24×7, only taking it off to charge.  I still wear my Garmin when I run/bike/hike/swim (Garmin is more sophisticated for fitness tracking in my opinion), but for everything else, I rely on my Apple Watch.

What Exactly Do I Track?

Good question, I’m glad you asked!  The Apple Watch has two primary sources of data: 1) first-party data that is recorded directly from the watch’s sensors, and 2) third-party app integrations.  All of this data seamlessly integrates into Apple Health, and Apple Health can also import health records from your medical provider.  The Apple Watch captures a lot of data…some of the first-party data I pay attention to include: steps, active calories, sleep history, heart rate, resting heart rate, heart-rate variability (HRV), and cardio fitness (VO2 Max), to name a few.  Some of the third-party data that I pay attention to includes weight (via Etekcity scale), blood pressure (via Omron BP monitor), meditation (via Insight Timer), workout (via Garmin / Strava), nutrition (via MyFitnessPal), and water/fluid consumption (via Waterminder). I’m a bit of a data junkie, and this data gives me insight into my overall health & wellness as I can see trends through time. I take it one step further and track some of this data in a spreadsheet where I can manipulate as I wish and track progress against self-imposed goals.  Most people will not be as obsessive about their Apple Watch health data, or are unlikely to export to a spreadsheet…that’s ok, the Apple Health and Fitness apps provide decent summaries that meet the needs of most users.  But for me, the added focus on my health data provides useful insight and motivation to keep my health in check.

How Can the Apple Watch Help with Heart Disease?

Many of the diseases or conditions associated with Heart Disease count lifestyle choices among the contributing factors.  As most are aware and as I’ve covered in more detail in previous posts, a focus on fitness, sleep, minimizing stress, and eating a healthy and balanced diet can help prevent heart disease.  Genetics and other factors can certainly contribute and are not to be underestimated, but if you are addressing each of those four key areas, you are well-positioned to stave off heart disease. I like to think of these as inputs, which are things that you can control – for example: how much exercise, how much sleep, how much meditation, how healthy am I eating – that help inform health outputs that can be directly tracked by or integrated into your device: weight, blood pressure, HRV, VO2 Max, etc.  Awareness of your inputs helps to optimize your outputs.  

However, some of the data is more easily tracked than others; the first-party data that the Apple Watch captures behind the scenes (steps, sleep, heart rate, etc) requires no effort other than wearing the watch.  Some of the third-party data requires a bit more effort – logging meals on MyFitnessPal, for example.  Where I find a ton of value in the Apple Watch is keeping me engaged and providing visibility into the state of my health.  

 

The data that is probably most directly useful for heart disease is:

  • Heart rate data – Apple Watch can track your heart rate in real-time and can alert you if your heart rate is abnormally high or low which may necessitate follow-up with your doctor

  • Irregular Rhythm Notifications – The Apple Watch will look at your heartbeat to check for irregular rhythm that may be AFib. 

  • ECG App – The Apple Watch ECG app can check the electrical pulses that make your heart beat.  If they are out of rhythm, you may have AFib. 

  • ECG App – If you have AFib, the Apple Watch can help track how much time your heart shows signs of AFib.

The Apple Watch’s “Killer App” is a Lifesaver

One of the best features of the Apple Watch, is the ability to share your data with doctors and loved ones via Apple Health.  As outlined here, you can control exactly what data gets shared and with who, and you can turn it off at any time.  My father has an Apple Watch and I receive notifications for things like low heartrate or unsteady walking.  While they may not be serious issues, they may prompt a phone call to check-in to ensure he’s doing fine.  Similarly, I can share my health data with my loved ones so they have insight into how I’m doing.  This Apple Health data sharing is in addition to the safety features on the Apple Watch that include the ability to alert designated contacts if it detects that you have fallen or been in a crash.  These features have saved lives, and could do the same for you.

As we integrate wearables like the Apple Watch into our lives, we’re not just tracking health metrics; we’re making a heartfelt commitment to our well-being. These devices empower us to ‘wear our hearts on our wrists’, providing valuable insights while reminding us of the importance of professional medical guidance. Embrace this technology as a partner in your health journey, and let it motivate you to take proactive steps towards a healthier heart. Wear your heart proudly on your wrist, and let every beat guide you to a healthier, more informed future.

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