These days, maintaining good health is certainly easier than ever. The popularity of fitness trackers and smartwatches has increased dramatically in recent years. But according to recent preliminary studies, individuals who might need these devices most, such as those who have or are more at risk for cardiovascular disease, appear to utilize them the least.

Fitness trackers help people in tracking cardiac rhythm 

Fitness trackers and other wearable devices have gained popularity, particularly among healthcare professionals. They can assist individuals in keeping track of their cardiac rhythm, physical activity, and electrical activity, allowing medical personnel to treat better patients at risk for health issues.

Lead study author Lovedeep Dhingra said that AI could be used alongside health information from wearable devices to minimize the risk of heart disease.

Researchers examined the health data of 9,303 U.S. people who took part in a national survey between 2019 and 2020 to better understand their use. The study’s authors concentrated on people who had or were at risk for developing heart disease, like those with diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, or obesity. 

They were questioned whether they had been using a fitness tracker the previous year to monitor their physical activity or overall health, but not about what kind of device. The use of fitness trackers was then compared by age, sex, ethnicity, degree of education, income, and willingness to share information with medical experts.

People with heart disease and at-risk less likely to use fitness trackers 

The scientists state that people who were at a higher risk of having heart disease were less inclined to use fitness trackers. Approximately 34 million people are thought to be at risk of heart disease, and approximately 3.6 million individuals with the disease have reportedly used wearable technology. 

Higher levels of education were associated with a 3.6-fold utilization of wearable technology than those with less education. Furthermore, people with household incomes of $50,000 or higher were four times as likely to use trackers as those under $20,000.