How to use your smartwatch to spot early signs of heart disease revealed by study – and when to see your doctor
SMARTWATCHES could be a handy way to monitor your heart health, new research claims.
American scientists developed a new way to assess heart health based on information routinely collected by the gadgets.
Heart rate per step may be a more accurate indicator of well-being than total steps per day, they said.
The team found that dividing the average daily heart rate by number of steps taken per day provides a more reliable indicator of a person’s cardiovascular fitness, compared with either heart rate or step count alone.
Study lead author Zhanlin Chen said: “The metric we developed looks at how the heart responds to exercise, rather than exercise itself.
“It’s a more meaningful metric because it gets at the core issue of capturing the heart’s capacity to adjust under stress as physical activity fluctuates throughout the day.
Read more on heart disease
“Our metric is a first attempt at capturing that with a wearable device.”
While screening tests can provide early warning of heart disease risk, many people might not take up screening offers.
But researchers say that taking advantage of the information collected by smartwatches could offer a new way to identify people at higher risk and encourage them to speak with a doctor.
The team analysed data from more than 6,000 American adults who provided data from their Fitbit and electronic health records to the All of Us research programme.
Calculating the relationship between participants’ average daily heart rate per step (DHRPS) and a range of cardiovascular outcomes, data showed that people with elevated DHRPS were around twice as likely to have type 2 diabetes and 1.7 times as likely to have heart failure.
They were also 1.6 times as likely to have high blood pressure and 1.4 times as likely to have coronary atherosclerosis – a build-up of plaque in the heart’s arteries – compared with people who had lower DHRPS.
No relationship was found between DHRPS and the risk of a stroke or heart attack.
The results also showed that DHRPS was more strongly associated with cardiovascular disease diagnoses than either daily heart rate or step count alone.
Based on their findings, the researchers suggest that DHRPS could be used as an early indicator of who might benefit from more screening tests or cardiovascular conditioning to improve their heart’s functioning.
Mr Chen, a medical student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, said the metric is simple enough that a person could calculate it on their own based on the data collected by a smartwatch, or it could potentially be built into smartwatch apps.
11 signs you might have heart disease
AROUND 7.6million people in the UK live with heart and circulatory diseases. Are you one of them?
If you notice any of the following symptoms, it is time to see a doctor.
- Chest pain
- Feeling sick
- Stomach pain or indigestion
- Feeling sweaty or clammy
- Leg pain
- Arm pain
- Jaw or back pain
- Choking sensation
- Swollen ankles
- Extreme fatigue
- Irregular heartbeat
Source: British Heart Foundation
He added: “Wearables are welcomed by the consumer and worn throughout the day, so they actually have minute-to-minute information about the heart function.
“That is a lot of information that can tell us about a lot of things, and there’s a need to further study how this detailed information correlates with patient outcomes.”
But Mr Chen noted that the study design meant researchers couldn’t tell if the Fitbit measurements were taken before or after patients’ heart disease diagnoses.
The team hope to conduct more research, measuring DHRPS minute by minute instead of using daily averages.
With some refinement, Mr Chen said that DHRPS or a similar metric could ultimately be incorporated into the standard heart disease risk assessment used by doctors.
He is due to present the findings at the American College of Cardiology’s annual scientific session in Chicago on Saturday March 29.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels.
It’s usually associated with a build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries – called atherosclerosis – and an increased risk of blood clots.
It can also be associated with damage to arteries in organs such as the brain, heart, kidneys and eyes.
CVD is one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK, but it can often largely be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle.
How to reduce your risk of heart attacks and stroke
You can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke with many of the same methods.
Heart attacks and strokes, althouh affecting different organs of the body, are both what we call cardiovascular events.
Both arise from similar underlying conditions, such as atherosclerosis —a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries.
According to the American Heart Association, the risk factors for heart attacks and strokes are largely the same: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, and diabetes.
Therefore, addressing these risk factors can simultaneously reduce the risk of both conditions.
Here are ways you can prevent the two:
Healthy diet
- More fruit and veg: The DASH, which emphasises fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, has been shown to reduce blood pressure and improve heart health.
- Less fats: Too much saturated and trans fats can raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of atherosclerosis. Go for healthier fats like those found in olive oil, nuts, and avocados.
- Limit salt: High salt intake is linked to high blood pressure, a major risk factor for both heart attack and stroke. The NHS recommends no more than 6g of salt per day for adults.
- Fibre: Foods high in soluble fibre, such as oats and beans, can help lower cholesterol levels.
Exercise
Walking, running, cycling, swimming – whatever you like, do it!
Aerobic exercise can strengthen the heart and improve circulation.
The NHS advises at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week.
Strength training exercises can help control weight, improve cholesterol levels, and reduce blood pressure. It is recommended twice a week by the NHS.
Manage blood pressure
Healthy diet and exercise can help keep your blood pressure in check.
But it is worth monitoring it yourself after the age of 40, at least, when the NHS invites adults for a check-up every five years.
High blood pressure often has no symptoms but significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Quit smoking
One of the best ways to quit smoking is to use resources provided by NHS Smokefree. Support groups, medications, and other tools to help quit smoking such as vapes could be what you need to kick the habit for good – and it’s free.
Limit booze
Excessive alcohol consumption can increase blood pressure and contribute to weight gain, which can snowball and become a heart health risk.
The NHS recommends not regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol per week.
It comes after researchers used smartwatch data to predict people’s likelihood of getting dementia.
The study found that information such as walking speed and step count could shed light of dementia risk, as people who walked more regularly and at a faster pace were 40 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia or cognitive decline.
People’s bedtimes – also recorded through fitness trackers – were found to be a predictor of dementia too, as those who went to sleep before 9pm and slumbered for over nine hours had a 60 per cent higher risk of the brain-robbing disease.