Wearable devices are evolving from lifestyle accessories into digital medical sentinels, by applying AI models to daily physiological data, patients may be able to identify early warning signs of heart failure deterioration, helping bridge the gaps of intermittent hospital-based monitoring.
SEATTLE, WA (MERXWIRE) –Can the smartwatch worn on the wrist every day become a predictor of heart failure? According to recent research, investigators used daily physiological data collected from smartwatches and smartphones to develop an artificial intelligence model that can track functional changes in patients with heart failure.
Traditionally, the assessment of functional capacity in heart failure patients has required hospital-based testing. However, this study extends monitoring beyond clinical settings by leveraging continuous daily data from wearable devices, including activity levels and heart rate variability, enabling home-based and longitudinal evaluation.
The study analysed 58 patients with heart failure who had complete datasets. Among them, 26 individuals were identified as having significant functional decline. Within this group, 26.9% subsequently experienced unplanned medical visits, compared with only 3.1% among those without a detected decline. Importantly, the median interval between model alert and actual healthcare utilisation was approximately 7.4 days. This additional week represents a critical window for clinicians to adjust medications, schedule follow-up visits, and potentially prevent acute hospitalisation.
The growing interest in this technology reflects the increasing global burden of heart failure. Approximately 64 million people worldwide are currently affected, and prevalence continues to rise with population ageing and increasing chronic disease incidence. One of the most challenging aspects of heart failure is its high hospitalisation risk. Statistics indicate that the 30-day readmission rate for heart failure patients remains around 20%, meaning roughly one in five patients returns to the hospital shortly after discharge.
Despite the support provided by advanced monitoring technologies, daily self-care remains the final line of defence for maintaining cardiac health. Current international clinical guidelines recommend that patients with heart failure limit sodium intake to below 2,000 mg per day, along with careful fluid management and regular body-weight monitoring to prevent fluid retention.
Wearable devices such as smartwatches are therefore no longer limited to recording physical activity. Instead, they may serve as a window into clinicians’ observations of patients’ day-to-day physiological changes. For individuals with heart failure, earlier detection of risk through daily home-based data could allow physicians to adjust treatment sooner and encourage patients to recognise subtle warning signs before symptoms worsen.
