Smart watches: The pros and cons of wearable technology

MANILA, Philippines — Time was when the only way to know your blood pressure was with the help of a sphygmomanometer as read by a doctor or a nurse.

The band of the sphygmomanometer is worn around the upper arm, pumped up with air, and released until you hear the clicks of the systolic and diastolic readings. Then came digital technology and, finally, the advent of smart watch or wearable technology designed to perform the tasks of several other gadgets.

By wearing a smart watch, monitoring your vital signs much less, checking your blood pressure is now as easy as tapping a touchscreen.

A smart watch is a compact computer on your wrist that can do just about anything through sensors, including your heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen saturation. It can also track the number of steps you take, the distance you have covered, and the calories you already burned.

More advanced models of smart watches can also get this! monitor your menstrual cycle, detect irregular heartbeat and, yes, even take an ECG. Such information is particularly important and helpful to your primary physician, as the information can help him (or her) make better diagnoses and recommendations based on the data saved on your smart watch.

“With the constant advancements in technology, the possibilities for how wearable technology can be integrated into healthcare practice are endless,” said Dr. Juancho Alfredo D. Las, head of Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, of Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed).

Dr. Las goes on to explain what a smart watch can and cannot do:

It can keep you and your doctor informed. Take hypertension, which remains as the leading cause of illness among Filipinos and which, according to the Department of Health, is not only because of unhealthy lifestyle habits but also because a lot of people who suffer from it do not know that they are hypertensive.

“A majority still don’t know what their average blood pressure is and, even worse, many of those with hypertension are asymptomatic. They think there’s nothing wrong with them until it’s too late,” said Dr. Las. "A smart watch removes any guesswork and allows you to take proactive steps when it comes to your health. “If you’ve never had high blood pressure before and you see a constant trend, advise your doctor.” 

“Same with those whose BP (blood pressure) remains elevated even with maintenance medication. Let your doctor know so he or she could look into it and possibly adjust your dosages. And if your blood pressure and heart rate are unusually high during a workout or even when you’re at rest, it’s a sign to slow down,” he added.

The only downside is that with all this real-time information on your wrist, you will have this tendency to constantly check your smart watch or entertain worse-case-scenario thoughts.

“Over-tracking is definitely unhealthy and can only stress you out,” Dr. Las pointed out. “Resist the urge to keep looking at your watch and monitoring yourself.”

Using a smart watch will motivate you to take positive steps towards good health. There’s nothing more satisfying than knowing that you have accomplished the recommended 10,000 steps a day or better yet, that you have topped it.

“If you’ve never worked out before, a smart watch can jump-start your routine and serve as a personal coach of sorts. It can also challenge you to improve your stats from going longer or faster, to successfully bringing down numbers like elevated blood pressure and heart rate,” said Dr. Las.

But then, again, don’t obsess over the results.

“It’s good to push yourself to do better. But you risk burnout and eventually lose interest in your fitness journey,” Dr. Las explained. “Be happy with what you can accomplish in a day and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get to perform as well as you would have wanted to. Tomorrow is another day.”

It’s a gadget. While most smart watches are accurate, they are not infallible.

“If you don’t wear it properly, if your particular unit has technical issues, or in the event of spotty GPS, a smart watch may yield inaccurate results,” Dr. Las cautioned. 

Your smart watch cannot replace your doctor. Ultimately, your primary physician is still the best source of information and advice regarding your health.

“Unlike a smart watch, your doctor can perform a physical exam to check for other symptoms of a suspected condition,” said Dr. Las. “And can also make specific recommendations prescribe medication, request for diagnostic tests, design a suitable diet for you, or tell you how much exercise you’re allowed to do.”

“If you really want to get a smart watch, bring it up with your doctor and see how you can make the gadget work for both of you,” said Dr. Las. “The best smart watches are those that make you take ownership of your current health situation and set you on the path to a healthy lifestyle.”

(For more information, please contact MakatiMed On-Call at +632.88888 999.)