Now Reading: Top doctors warn: don’t trust every smartwatch health reading
-
01
Top doctors warn: don’t trust every smartwatch health reading
Top doctors have cautioned that AI-powered smartwatches are useful for monitoring health trends but should never be mistaken for diagnostic devices. Alerts for irregular heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation require confirmation through…
The Story in Brief
Top doctors have cautioned that AI-powered smartwatches are useful for monitoring health trends but should never be mistaken for diagnostic devices. Alerts for irregular heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation require confirmation through clinical ECG tests, as movement, poor fit, and environmental factors can cause inaccuracies. Experts also warn against trusting claims for non-invasive blood sugar, blood pressure, and oxygen measurements, which have variable accuracy.
Dr. Vaibhav Dedhia of Jaslok Hospital says smartwatch ECG data cannot reliably predict a heart attack, while Dr. RR Dutta of Paras Health stresses that AI wearables are not automatically accurate just because they use artificial intelligence. Consumers should treat abnormal readings as a reason to consult a doctor, not as a diagnosis. Privacy concerns and health-tracking anxiety are additional risks flagged by the panel of ten specialists.
The Indian Opinion
The hype around AI-powered wearables is running ahead of reality. Companies market blood sugar and blood pressure readings as if they were clinical-grade, but these features remain unvalidated for most consumers. The real risk is not the occasional false alert but the false sense of security, or unnecessary anxiety, they create. Doctors are right to insist that a smartwatch is a screening tool, not a diagnostic device. The question to watch for: will regulators step in to mandate accuracy disclosures before more people act on misleading numbers?
Source: timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
