wearables to predict disease

Stanford University has just struck hard by revealing that wearables could predict that you will be sick a few days before you experience symptoms.

Researchers at Stanford University have discovered that smart health connected clothing that continually monitors vital signs can pick up signs of disease as early as three days before symptoms are actually felt by the wearer.

Although the accuracy may not have been maximum, continuous reading provided a consistent baseline from which changes would be visible. This study has so far been carried out on just under fifty people.

In the case of a subject participating in this study, fluctuations in heart rate and skin temperature indicated the early signs of Lyme disease, even if he was feeling well. This early diagnosis by the wearables was then confirmed by a doctor. This diagnosis is quite incredible when you know how complicated it is to diagnose this disease.

And this case is not a unique case. The researchers chose a few other cases where changes in vital signs correlate with the disease, allowing them to create an algorithm to actually predict the onset of the disease. The team is now working on these algorithms and hopes that they will one day be available in all smartwatches and fitness trackers.

Personally, I think this is perhaps one of the most fascinating discoveries when it comes to wearables. Thanks to this discovery, it would even be possible to reveal physiological differences between insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant individuals. Consequence of such measures: it would then be possible for these sensors to be used to detect the risk of type 2 diabetes.

AB SMART HEALTH REVIEW