While most Americans use a device to monitor their heart, few share the resultant data with their doctor, according to a survey by the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Advances in technology have made it increasingly easier for people to self-monitor their heart health whether it’s via a smart device on their wrist or finger or a blood pressure monitor. However, the survey found that while many Americans use a device to monitor their heart, few share the data with their doctor.

The survey of 1008 Americans found nearly two-thirds use a device on a regular basis to monitor their heart health with the most popular being a smartwatch (32%), portable blood pressure machine (31%), fitness app (19%) and wearable fitness and movement tracker (13%). Of those who use a device, only one in four use the data to prompt a conversation about their heart health with their doctor.

“These self-monitoring devices are really helpful to patients and their healthcare providers because they can potentially catch things early,” said Laxmi Mehta and Sarah Ross from the Wexner Medical Center (wexnermedical.osu.edu). “For example, if patients are monitoring their blood pressure at home and notice it’s been going up over time, they may want to discuss it with their doctor sooner rather than waiting for their annual visit. Or they may capture some irregular heart rhythms on their devices, like atrial fibrillation, much sooner than would be diagnosed at the doctor’s office.”

Mehta said patients had increasingly been asking her about the pros and cons of self-monitoring health devices. One of those patients is Sue VanWassenhove, 78, of Upper Arlington, whose children got her a smartwatch to track her health after she fell a couple of times. VanWassenhove has sleep apnoea, which affects her heart rate and breathing, and she keeps a close eye on what the device is capturing. When her smartwatch showed a pattern of her heart rate dropping, she set up an appointment with Mehta. 

“A normal heart rate is between 60 to 100 beats per minute without exercise,” Mehta said. “Heart rates can vary due to heart conditions or a variety of non-heart related reasons such as infection, dehydration, anxiety or thyroid disorders. When someone’s heart rate or rhythm seems different than usual, it’s best for them to speak with their doctor.”

When it comes to exercise, the maximum heart rate can be calculated by subtracting a person’s age from 220. With moderate intensity exercise, the goal is to hit 50 to 75% of that number and 70 to 85% for vigorous exercise, Mehta said. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate intense aerobic exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week for maintaining a healthy heart.

During an appointment with Mehta, VanWassenhove learned her smartwatch could do an ECG, which records the electrical signals in the heart, and she could send the results to Mehta through her electronic medical chart.

“Having a smartwatch is very empowering because I’m not being passive with my healthcare,” VanWassenhove said. “I have some heart issues that need monitoring, and it’s important for me to talk to my cardiologist or primary care doctor about any health issues that show up on my watch.”

This study was conducted by SSRS on its Opinion Panel Omnibus platform. This is a national, twice-per-month, probability-based survey. Data collection was conducted in December 2024 among a sample of 1008 respondents. The survey was conducted via web and telephone and administered in English.

For a video on the Sue VanWassenhove case, see www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iaa2ivg8v3k&t=10s.