The quantified self

Data is the nutrition of artificial intelligence. When an AI eats junk food, it's not going to perform very well. 

~ Matthew Emerick

I like data, and when it comes to health, for the sake of progress in science, I don’t mind sharing it. However, I have not yet felt compelled to buy a wearable tracking device. 

I have a good-quality blood pressure monitor, a thermometer, and a pulse oximeter (which measures saturation levels of oxygen in the blood).

Since his strokes, my husband has at times had to wear some very sophisticated medical monitoring devices, presenting the rare opportunity to assess the accuracy of his highly-rated smartwatch.

Personal and medical clinic wearables track health-related metrics like heart rate, sleep quantity and quality, stress, daily activity, and more. Unfortunately, we have found that there is often discrepancy between the two. Results from both are questionable at times.

I share this to caution those who track to be curious and investigate if something seems off. 

For example, if you are awakening without an alarm feeling well rested, not experiencing brain fog, frequent infections, or cravings for comfort food, but your tracking device says you get zero deep sleep, do not fret. The tracker is likely faulty. 

For some, wearables can be anxiety-inducing. A recent study concluded that smartwatches can contribute to health anxiety in a growing patient population with atrial fibrillation. 

Doctors think my husband’s strokes were due to new-onset atrial fibrillation. Researchers found that anxiety was prevalent among this population, leading to a higher symptom burden, reduced quality of life, and an increase in health care consumption. 

Other studies reveal a correlation between the use of fitness and calorie trackers and an increase in symptoms of disordered eating. 

Of course, many people benefit from these gadgets that inspire them to get up and move, breathe better, meditate, and more. 

Population data harvested from wearable devices can be used by ethical researchers to identify underlying causes of health conditions and to help prevent them.

Wearables have the potential to change our lives and society, for better or worse. Be curious. Learn as much as you can before committing to a health metric tracking device.