Keep a watch on your exercise capacity and health status

WEARABLE devices such as Fitbits and Apple Watches can be used to estimate exercise capacity and determine the health status of patients, says a new study.

Determining how far patients with pulmonary disease can walk in six minutes has long been an effective clinical tool to help physicians determine their exercise capacity.

They can also use this tool to predict patients’ health outcomes and mortality.

The new research suggests that devices like Fitbits and Apple Watches can replace the standardised six-minute walk distance test, which is usually conducted in a clinical setting.

Data from wrist-worn step trackers may be used in clinical care at higher intervals to effectively monitor patient progress and disease management, said the study.

“For patients, this means we can track their progress more frequently in a manner that’s less expensive and more convenient than current standardised testing,” said lead investigator of the study Denitza Blagev from Intermountain Healthcare in the US.

The six-minute walk distance is an important, objective standard used to assess exercise capacity.

Patients walk for six minutes and, then based on how many metres they cover in that time, physicians can predict outcomes and mortality for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular diseases.

Researchers found they could effectively estimate a patient’s six-minute walk distance results by using step counters, instead of having patients come into a clinical setting to do the test.

Findings from the study were presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress meetings in Madrid.