In March, a Fitbit (running health monitor) helped a 73-year-old Connecticut woman find blood clots in two lobes of her lungs. A 34-year-old Australian woman's Fitbit detected that she was experiencing atrial fibrillation. There was even a 17-year-old American athlete whose unusually high heart rate was detected by an Apple smartwatch and who was eventually found to have rhabdomyolysis.
Some people have already realized that wearables have life-saving potential, with about 17 percent of Americans over the age of 65 using similar devices to monitor their heart health. But that's wholly inadequate, especially considering that the health-monitoring capabilities of these devices are improving, such as the ability to count your steps or remind users to get up and move around every 30 minutes, and that these devices haven't become a necessity in people's lives. As the holidays approach, many big companies are rolling out their latest wares. Apple's Series 3 smartwatch, Samsung's new sports smartwatch, and so on. But none of the companies are touting the health monitoring capabilities of their products. Instead, the market usually focuses on how waterproof or stylish these devices are. Presumably this makes their products easier to sell. People over 65 may be more likely to find these technologies beneficial, but this age group is also less receptive to new technologies. Meanwhile younger people are usually less concerned about the function of their heart. Unless they think they may have induced a heart attack from weight lifting exercises. Sadly, wearable technology is still in its infancy. The only thing that products from big brands like Apple and Fitbit can read correctly is heart rate. While it will be many years before Apple smartwatches or other products have the ability to analyze lungs and livers, wearable technology has already made some fascinating breakthroughs. For example, there are already products that can read your blood alcohol levels or correct your posture.