Wearable technology is an essential tool for cardiologists

There is a misconception that someone who is in good shape is healthy. We see it all the time – professional athletes, people training for marathons, and people who enjoy exercise and participate in frequent workouts don’t realize that by doing so, they are putting additional stress on their hearts, and this is more important than ever when visiting a cardiologist. Today, the wearable devices they use during workouts can also help cardiologists monitor their heart health, and this is just the beginning of a new medical frontier.

This is where wearable technology plays a key role. For most users, these small devices help monitor their well-being. They remind you if you haven’t slept enough, if you’ve been sitting too long, they count your steps, encouraging you to stay active. In the future, they may even warn you when you’re too stressed and suggest you take some time off. Mobile devices have become an integral part of our lives, constantly collecting vast amounts of valuable medical data from millions of people around the world. For us cardiologists, this data can be used to speed up diagnosis, improve patient treatment, speed up research, and even save lives.

Seven years ago I noticed a developing trend where more people were taking part in training activities, and what was once for athletes was now quickly becoming a hobby for people who were not athletes but realized the benefits of participating in high-intensity exercise, and although their condition was getting better, they did not realize that it was putting additional strain on their hearts and that they should be under constant medical care. This inspired me to open the Sports Cardiology Clinic at Beilinson Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in the country. Fast forward to today, where we are the largest clinic of our kind in the country and oversee the care of over 500 Olympic, competitive and recreational athletes, helping them continue their training effectively and safely. By monitoring our patients, we see the difference that wearable technology makes.

One such example is a patient who is a 45-year-old software engineer and family man who started mountain biking as a hobby in his 30s. Over time, he turned this passion into a competitive pursuit by participating in races. I monitor him with regular check-ups at our clinic. A few months ago he called me distraught after a training session, describing an episode at the height of his training during which his heart was beating irregularly and he was close to fainting. This incident concerned me, even though his most recent cardiology tests were normal. I wasn’t sure if this was a potentially damaging event or something that might not happen again. The decision I had to make was whether to allow him to continue his normal activity, knowing he might be at risk, or to have him stop his intense activity, possibly overreacting to a harmless event.

Fortunately, during the conversation, I asked if he was wearing a smartwatch during training. I was relieved to learn that it was, and an electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded at the time of the episode. As I reviewed the records, I immediately recognized that he had experienced an episode of atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is a common arrhythmia, often seen in champion athletes his age, but it is not life-threatening. Thanks to this quick diagnosis, I was able to provide immediate treatment. He didn’t have to stop what he was doing, we didn’t have to redo the entire cardiology evaluation, and he didn’t have to wait to schedule an in-person appointment while we worried about whether it was something serious. The smartwatch allowed me to instantly review the data and diagnose it from the comfort of my home and without having to wait for an appointment.

This incident occurred twice more, on separate occasions. Each time he contacted me and sent me EKG data, I instructed him to immediately take the medication I prescribed to stop the arrhythmia. It even happened once while I was on holiday in Madrid when, believe it or not, he was competing in the Epic race in Israel.

This is just one of many examples where wearable technology has enabled rapid and effective medical intervention, highlighting its potential to revolutionize patient care in cardiology.

Wearables are changing the way we approach health and fitness, making it easier for everyone to stay informed and proactive about their health. For us cardiologists, wearable devices offer an amazing way to constantly monitor your vital signs, often without your knowledge. These devices can track heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and even provide a complete electrocardiogram under extreme conditions such as intense exercise. This is a game-changing opportunity, but we also need to remember that these devices were not originally intended for medical use, so there are some discussions that need to be had at a regulatory level and around data ownership and security, such as who owns the data – the person wearing the smartwatch or the manufacturer of the device? Another issue is who is responsible for potentially life-threatening recordings if they were recorded without doctors’ knowledge. Other topics that need to be addressed are data access and security.