February 21, 2025
If you are looking for a health goal this year, being more proactive about your heart health is a great one to consider. Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death in men and women in the United States. But wearable technology, such as a smartwatch, ECG band, chest strap, smart ring or clothing embedded sensors, can be a helpful tool for tracking your health.
These wearable devices use motion and biometric sensors to collect data that can provide a general picture of your heart health while you go about your day.
“Any tool that assists us in being more motivated about our health and make an earlier diagnosis of certain heart disease conditions is valuable,” says MU Health Care cardiologist Dr. Vrinda Trivedi. “Knowing what your heart is doing is critical because cardiovascular disease can sneak up on you.”
Approximately 20% of people in the U.S. own a smart wearable device. Here’s what wearable technology can tell you about your heart health:
1. Detects Irregular Heartbeat
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common type of arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). When it goes undetected — as it often does — it makes you five times more likely to have a stroke.
AFib affects more than 12 million people in the U.S., with up to one in three adults over 45 developing it during their lifetime. And rates keep rising: More than 12 million people are projected to have AFib in the U.S. by 2030, according to the American Heart Association’s 2024 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics.
“A smartwatch helps with heart rhythm monitoring and can tell when you’re having atrial fibrillation,” Dr. Trivedi says. “If it detects an irregular heartbeat, it alerts you immediately so you can notify your health team.”
When it comes to accuracy, Dr. Trivedi says studies show these devices correctly predict AFib more than 90% of the time. Getting an alert is a definite indicator that you need to see a doctor.
2. Counts Your Steps and Movement
Heart health is closely related to physical activity. But only one in five adults and teens get the recommended minimum of 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate exercise per week.
Smart devices can help you track your exercise. Some can also urge you to get more movement by telling you when it’s time to stand or whether you’ve hit your daily fitness goal. But another common way wearables get you moving is by counting your steps.
Studies show that using a wearable device tends to increase personal activity by an average of 1,300 steps a day. Hit a minimum of 2,800 steps daily to decrease your cardiovascular disease risk. The more you walk, the more protective benefit you’ll see until around 7,100 steps, when the effects plateau.
“Exercise prevents the onset of heart disease,” Dr. Trivedi says. “It also helps people live longer. Research shows that as daily steps increase, mortality rates decrease.”
3. Tracks Your Heart Rate While Exercising
Wearables don’t just track the duration of your workout. They can also track how hard you work. “If your goal is to exercise at a moderate intensity,” Dr. Trivedi says, “you can use a wearable device or smartwatch that tracks heart rate to target a certain goal.”
The ideal heart rate during physical activity depends on your age. But Dr. Trivedi shares an easy way to identify your target heart rate:
- Subtract your age from 220: The answer is the maximum heart rate you should reach during exercise.
- Multiply the answer by 0.7: Moderate intensity is working at 70% of your maximum heart rate.
Once you reach your moderate-intensity heart rate while exercising, see how long you can maintain it. Gradually increase how long you exercise at that level until you hit the recommended 150 to 300 minutes weekly.
Contact your doctor if you ever get an alert for either a high or low heart rate while you aren’t exercising or sleeping.
4. Monitors Your Sleep
Knowing how long you sleep each night is essential because your sleep relates to cardiovascular health. Wearable technology can monitor:
- Duration of sleep: Adults should aim for seven to nine hours per night.
- Heart rate: Expect your heart rate to be lower while you sleep.
“The amount of sleep you get in a night closely correlates to how well your cardiovascular system functions,” Dr. Trivedi says. Recent studies suggest sleep deprivation is a significant risk factor for developing hypertension, coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus. If you had a night of sleep deprivation, by the next evening, your sympathetic nervous system activity and blood pressure will be elevated. These increases may be associated with the increased risk of coronary artery disease. “People who sleep less than seven hours nightly have a 6% increased risk of having an adverse cardiovascular event. People who sleep more than nine hours increase their risk of cardiovascular outcomes by 12%.”
5. Provides Blood Pressure Information
Some wearables can provide blood pressure readings, but Dr. Trivedi says it’s not necessarily the best way to monitor your blood pressure. Most people look at their wearables when engaged in physical activity, and blood pressure should be checked when you are at rest in ideal conditions.
“Blood pressure is a very reactive vital sign,” Dr. Trivedi says. “If you are up and about, your blood pressure can change dramatically. It can also depend on whether you’ve had coffee, are stressed or smoked a cigarette. It can vary greatly within a 24-hour period.”
Instead, Dr. Trivedi advises patients to actively manage their blood pressure using a cuff. She urges them to follow precise instructions for measuring blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association guidelines.
“If you’re looking to purchase a wearable device, talk to your doctor,” Dr. Trivedi says. “They can outline what you should be monitoring and help you set exercise, steps and heart rate goals. If you aren’t sure how wearable technology can help you with your heart health, your doctor can be an excellent resource.”
Next Steps and Useful Resources
- Want to check for heart issues before they become a problem? Sign up for a Love Your Heart Cardiac Screening.
- Want to discuss more with a cardiologist? Find one today.
