BOISE — Many people use fitness watches to monitor steps, heart rate, and other vital functions. Doctors say they are still a long way from the accuracy of medical devices.
- Dr. Danny Noonan says fitness watches have a positive predictive factor of anywhere from 40 to 80 percent.
- FDA has issued a warning against buying any watch that claims it can accurately monitor blood sugar levels.
(Verbatim of story that aired is below)
Smartwatches are all the rage these days. And they can give you some helpful information. There’s steps, there’s heart rate.
It seems to track everything. I’m senior reporter Roland Beres and it’s wellness Wednesday where we’re healthier together.
The question is, just how accurate are these watches and what are their drawbacks? There’s no app for that. So let’s ask the experts.
There was a time when watches were supposedly headed for extinction because everyone had a clock on their phone.
But look at anyone in the foothills, and they’re all wearing smartwatches.
"I had the fit bit before and turned it over to the Garmin and I think the Garmin is more accurate,” said Steve Graves.
Comparing devices is one thing.
Comparing them to medical devices is another.
"It’s a tool it’s not 100 percent and not zero percent," said Dr. Danny Noonan.
The reality is the positive predictive factor of these things is somewhere between 40 and 80 percent.”
You probably wouldn’t trust your health to something that’s right only 40 percent of the time. But Doctor Noonan says the future of these devices is bright.
"They will get better over time but they are not perfect." he said, "We have to look at it it’s not the same as getting an EKG its not the same as monitors from your doctor's office. It will get there I think but there’s some work to be done.”
In the meantime, beware of watches that claim to measure blood sugar levels for diabetics. A quick search online shows lots of relatively cheap watches claiming that ability. The FDA has issued a warning saying relying on such watches can lead to “errors in diabetes management” which can lead to “dangerously low glucose, leading to mental confusion, coma, or death.”
And until watches really get high grades for accuracy, Dr. Noonan says it’s best not to take them too seriously, or they could just backfire.
"If you’re checking your watch every 5 minutes and that’s what you’re doing all the time. It can easily raise your adrenaline, which can increase all these things we’re talking about rapid heart rate, a-fib, not sleeping well anxiety stress," said Dr. Noonan.
So the best advice is to take it with a grain of salt.
"No, I don’t bet my life on it. I go to the doctor and he always tells me that everything is out of whack anyway, so I just glance at it and say hmmm heart rate is really up there,” said Graves.
There are reports that a couple of top companies are exploring technology that could someday have FDA approval to check blood sugar levels, but until you hear from the FDA that someone has done it, don’t waste your money on a watch that claims it can.
For wellness Wednesday where we’re healthier together, I’m sr. reporter Roland Beres Idaho news six.
