Wearable Health Trackers: What Doctors Say You Should Actually Pay Attention To

Wearable health trackers, such as Apple Watches, FitBits, and Oura Rings, have become increasingly common, with industry surveys indicating that over half of the U.S. population owns a connected device that tracks at least one health metric. These devices offer a wealth of real-time data, from heart rate and step counts to sleep patterns and temperature. However, understanding the true value of this information requires a critical approach.

Dr. Michael Joyner, an exercise physiologist at the Mayo Clinic, suggests a three-pronged criterion for evaluating the usefulness of any health metric: Is it measurable? Is it meaningful? And is the information actionable? "If one or two are missing, the thing may be the most interesting thing in the world. It may be cool," Joyner stated, "But it’s not going to make a difference in long-term outcomes."

Newer metrics like heart rate variability (HRV) have emerged, with some devices using it to provide "recovery" or "stress" scores. While HRV has a scientific basis and is associated with overall health, experts caution that minute-to-minute tracking may not translate to better health. Joyner pointed out that there are no universally accepted definitions for high or low HRV, nor specific interventions to improve it. He emphasized that the best strategies for heart health remain the established guidelines: avoiding smoking, moderating alcohol intake, eating a healthy diet, and exercising.

Dr. Ami Bhatt, chief innovation officer at the American College of Cardiology, noted that traditional metrics like blood pressure and cholesterol, alongside blood tests such as ApoB and lipoprotein, are still the cornerstones of heart health evaluation. Family history and smoking status also remain crucial factors. According to Bhatt, the primary value of wearables lies not in specific, often unstandardized numbers, but in tracking long-term trends. By observing personal data over time, users can identify their baseline and notice significant changes that might warrant a doctor's visit. "We don’t want to overreact to just one abnormal reading," Bhatt advised. "If you just know your baseline when you’re relatively healthy, you can catch the trends."

Experts also warn of potential downsides to excessive reliance on wearables. Fixating on sleep data, for instance, can lead to a phenomenon called "orthosomnia," where anxiety about sleep quality actually exacerbates sleep problems. A survey by the American Society of Sleep Medicine found that 76 percent of U.S. respondents reported losing sleep due to worrying about their sleep. Bhatt suggested that devices could benefit from features that detect compulsive data checking, while Joyner expressed concern about the "too-much-information world" potentially creating anxiety.

Despite these limitations, wearables can be beneficial. They can help users understand their personal health baselines and notice changes. Certain patients, such as those with congenital heart failure, may benefit from continuous monitoring. Devices can also alert users to dangerous heart rate levels during exercise, and the FDA has cleared several smartwatches for atrial fibrillation detection. Future iterations of these devices, enhanced by AI, are expected to become more precise and integrated with healthcare systems, potentially offering more valuable insights when combined with medical records and lab data.

Ultimately, the usefulness of a wearable often comes down to individual motivation and how the data influences behavior. "The best health metric is the one that changes what you do in a way that improves your health," Bhatt said. For many, wearables encourage physical activity; a 2022 Lancet study indicated that users tend to walk up to 40 minutes more per day. This increased movement can yield significant health benefits. However, users are encouraged to be mindful of their own well-being, and it is acceptable to stop using a tracker if it causes undue stress or sleep disturbances.