Apple Watch tried to warn me but I didn't listen. It was right all along

Not all of us can become medical assistants. Our wearable tech might.

Three years ago, I was sitting in my room, preparing for my thesis defense, when my Apple Watch buzzed, alerting me of a high heart rate.

“Your heart rate rose above 120 BPM while you seemed to be inactive for 10 minutes from 19:38.” This was the first time I had received an alert like this, but it didn’t surprise me because of how nervous I was. So, I captured the notification and sent it to my friends, joking that I should wrap up this whole education thing before it kills me.

The next day, when it was my turn to present my thesis, the same thing happened again – my watch alerted me of a high heart rate. At that point, I was so nervous and annoyed that I honestly couldn’t care less, even if it said that my heart was about to explode.

After that, the alerts stopped, so I blamed the whole thing on stress and forgot about it. That was until I went to the doctor for my back pains. This is when they said that my back was fine, but what they were worried about was my heart.

A couple of cardiograms later, it turned out that the whole situation wasn’t all too serious, but it was something that I should keep an eye on in the future. It also got me thinking about those alerts that I have simply ignored. Could wearable technology be more helpful than we think?

How important is health monitoring to users?

When wearable technology first became popular, it was mostly used to track one’s fitness goals. At least, this is what prompted me to buy my first wearable, a Fitbit tracker that I mostly used to count my steps. After that, I got an Apple Watch, which made me look more closely at my sleeping patterns. However, the truth is, soon after, I gave up on it, too, using it mainly to check on stats during hikes and walks.

Now, wearable technology has reached the point where it can save you from falling down a snowy mountain or serve as a hearing aid.

Different trends emerge when it comes to the use of health-monitoring apps. Not that long ago, my colleague and I had a discussion about health monitoring, and we came to the conclusion that we, Europeans, are not that “obsessed” with tracking our well-being.

The statistics also show that people in the US are much more into health monitoring apps, as 63% of Americans use them. Meanwhile, in Europe, the number of health-tracking app users ranges from 22% to 40%.

According to data from 2023, 47% of surveyed Americans aged 18 to 34 used health-tracking apps. The percentage decreased in older age groups, with 30% of over 65-year-olds monitoring their health via an app.

When it comes to tech wearables that help measure health patterns, a study by Parks Associates via Athletech News revealed that almost 50% of households in the US use wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers.

When it comes to features that users are most interested in, it's not something entirely new or unheard of. Users are very interested in monitoring their blood pressure, tracking blood oxygen levels, stress levels, sleep patterns, and such.

Considering what has already been done in the health tracking tech sector, I was interested to know if anything new is being developed.

What do we have so far?

My interest peaked last year after I saw tech giants such as Apple and Samsung introduce their latest wearables and the new features that came with them.

Last September, Apple launched its Watch Series 10, which includes a blood oxygen sensor that measures oxygen levels. However, it was soon discovered that due to pulse oximetry patent infringement, watch users in the United States won’t be able to use the feature.

Users often want heart-related metrics from their health monitoring tech. Because of this, one of Samsung’s latest smartwatches, the Galaxy Ultra, has a blood pressure tracking feature. However, after I had the opportunity to test the watch, I found out that it’s easier said than done since you’re required to have a blood pressure monitor to calibrate the watch.

Another new innovation Samsung is the expansion of its health application, which tracks users' health metrics.

It’s been reported that users can access their medical records from clinics, hospitals, and health networks through Samsung Health Records. The new feature divided users into two camps: some fearing for their privacy and others much more open to the idea of having everything in one place.

While the current situation with new features is not ideal, I learned that some progress is being made during my participation at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this year.

Continuous blood pressure monitoring is on the way

This is where I found out about novosound. This UK-based company has been working on wearable healthcare technology that makes it possible to monitor one’s blood pressure at all times through a wearable, such as a smartwatch or a smart ring.

The company, which has been operating since 2018, is aware of the health monitoring struggles that some people face. novosound already outlived COVID-19, during which the company developed sensors that could monitor fluids in a patient’s lungs.

“We're not trying to create a device that sits in a hospital. There are already so many devices that do so. What we're trying to do is put it in the hands of the consumer level,” explained Nathan Dalgleish, technical solutions specialist at novosound.

Slanj is the company’s wireless wearable development platform that can be integrated into any wearable device.

One of the main issues with blood monitoring is that it’s usually done a few times a day, so it’s hard to see any continuous changes in the metrics.

“Having a system that runs continuously allows us to get data throughout the day, and I think that trend is where the real value lies,” shared the company’s representative.

For the technology to be used in everyday settings, novosound is already looking for partners who will implement it on their devices.

“Maybe in three years you'll walk into a Google Store or an Apple Store, and you'll see a watch band that says ‘We can now do blood pressure on a smartwatch,’ and you'll never know that it was novosound,” said Dalgleish.

An app that can tell you if you need to see a doctor

So far, we could say that health monitoring accuracy depends on how interested in it a person is. It’s not mandatory. Nothing bad really happens if we forget to charge our wearable or if we haven’t synced the information with an app for a while.

With features such as the previously mentioned Samsung Health Records, health monitoring becomes a more serious matter, but at the same time, it brings convenience, especially for people who suffer from chronic diseases.

Another UK-based company, electronRx, that I spotted during the conference specializes in creating solutions that monitor “cardiac and pulmonary functions including heart and respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and lung function.”

This is when I got to test their new app purpleDx which allows users to detect respiratory health metrics at home.

Interestingly, users can’t just simply download the app to their smartphone. They actually have to get it "prescribed" by their doctor as the company provides applications to institutions like hospitals.

So, if a user is suffering from asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), they can use purpleDx to track any changes in their health.

The app works by taking a reading, which takes 30 to 60 seconds. During this reading, the phone scanned my face and my chest to check on my breathing and heart rate.

After the test, the app was able to tell that while my metrics were good, my “tidal volume,” which is a metric that tells how much air is entering and leaving the lungs with every breath, was a bit low. I was explained that the reason for this could be because there were many people walking behind me.

Once the reading is done, users can see their metrics and even get notified if they need to see their doctor, who can also see the data.

While it might sound convenient to have all your metrics looked at by a professional, it also poses a question of how secure it is.

When it comes to safety, the representative shared that the company is following the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and only shares the information with the patient's medical provider if they “explicitly opt-in” for it.