Many of us wear smart watches and fit bands. And mostly we look for metrics like daily number of steps, and the heart rate. But scientists have found that just by making a little bit of calculation of the metrics available in smart watches we can actually predict our heart health.
Researchers at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University have found that dividing the average daily heart rate by the daily average number of steps can give more insights about cardiovascular health. The findings of the study have been published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

“Simple biometrics such as peak heart rate and exercise duration remain core predictors of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Commercial wearable devices track physical and cardiac electrical activity. Detailed, longitudinal data collection from wearables presents a valuable opportunity to identify new factors associated with CVD,” the researchers have said.

“You’re just going to have to do a tiny bit of math”

“The primary exposure Daily Heart Rate Per Step (DHRPS) was defined as the average daily heart rate divided by steps per day. Our analysis correlated DHRPS with established CVD factors (type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart failure, coronary atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction) as primary outcomes,” the researchers have found.

After examining 5.8 million person‐days and 51 billion total steps of individual-level, the researchers found that elevated DHRPS was associated with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart failure and coronary atherosclerosis.

“It’s a measure of inefficiency,” said Zhanlin Chen, a third-year medical student at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University and lead author of the new study told the NYTimes. “It looks at how badly your heart is doing,” he added. “You’re just going to have to do a tiny bit of math.”

Many of us rely on smartwatches and fitness bands to track daily steps and heart rate. However, scientists have discovered that these wearables can do much more than just count steps. This means our everyday gadgets could serve as early warning systems, helping us monitor heart health proactively. With proper interpretation, smartwatches may soon play a crucial role in detecting and preventing heart-related issues before they become serious.