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Medical professionals working in Ireland have noticed an increase in the number of people self diagnosing suspected heart problems by using fitness trackers and exercise apps.
However, the vast majority of people who were concerned
by their data and went for medical treatment because they believed they had
cardiac issues were found to have no problems when properly examined.
In a very small number of cases the people using the apps
who were alerted by apparent issues with their data, were found to have some
form of cardiac problem, which the app had alerted them to.
Dr Ilona Duffy, a GP from Monaghan, said fitness devices
were very useful and people should continue to use them.
However, she said they were not perfectly accurate all of
the time and people using them should be aware of that. She also confirmed on
RTE Radio 1 on Sunday that most of those presenting with concerns about their
hearts based on their fitness and exercise apps were middle aged men.
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The issue has been covered today in the Irish edition of the Sunday Times newspaper.
Dermot McCaffrey, a consultant cardiologist at the Beacon
Hospital in Dublin, told the newspaper that at least four people per month were
seeking heart examinations at his hospital over concerns caused by their data
on their fitness tracker and smartwatch readings.
He said the trend was relatively new and was increasing,
with the Mater Hospital in Dublin and GPs also reporting the same emerging
trend.
“Some patients are self-referring because they’re
worried. They’re showing up to the emergency department with their devices and
trying to show their downloads and tracking,” Dr
McCaffrey said.
“The devices are telling them their heart is going faster
than they feared it should be, and it makes them worried they’re having some
arrhythmia.
Some of the devices that are less accurate can do a thing
called double counting, where the heart would jump from 70 beats per minute,
which is normal, up to 140, for a few seconds. That’s just an error and, as
long as the patient feels fine, they should ignore those sorts of readings.”
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