With the increasing cases of heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases, concerns over monitoring heart health have also increased. People are becoming more aware of their health and adopting beneficial health habits, foods, and technologies.
Heart diseases are common worldwide, and patients have become more aware of tracking their heart rate, blood pressure, etc. Wearable patches are significantly applicable in monitoring, diagnosing, and treating cardiovascular patients.
Various options are available in the smart wearables section to monitor the health rate, including watches, patches, rings, and finger bands. These devices can easily track heart rate, record physical activity, and monitor blood pressure and other cardiovascular signals.
This article details how wearable patches are beneficial for cardiovascular care, but before that, one needs to understand the function of such patches.
What are wearable patches?
Wearable patches are wearable sensors that are used for diagnostic, monitoring, and therapeutic purposes, including heart rate monitoring, blood glucose monitoring, and measuring oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels, blood glucose, blood pressure, etc. They are applied to the patient’s skin using adhesives to monitor the patient’s physiological signs, such as pulse.
Continuous monitoring and minimum interference with body movement for the measurement of vital signs of patients are some of the driving factors of the wearable patches market. Moreover, these patches also help in diagnosing the increasing prevalence of chronic disorders, including diabetes, strokes, etc. The manufacturers are focusing on rising technological advancement in wearable patches through increased connectivity with cell phones and precise data and the growing geriatric population.
According to the BIS Research report, the global wearable patches market was valued at $8.65 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $26.89 billion by the end of 2031, growing at a CAGR of 11.06% during the forecast period 2022-2031.
Why are wearable patches gaining recognition?
Wearable patches can measure body movement, blood pressure, and heart rate, detect and monitor arrhythmia, and support exercise training and rehabilitation. Wearable devices used in the healthcare industry are targeted to specific applications and are manufactured with certain instructions advised by healthcare professionals that include electrocardiogram (ECG) patch recorders and vests, patches, and textiles with in-built sensors for early detection of acute decompensation and improved prognostication.
Due to clinical inertia and concerns regarding data security and validity, interoperability, regulatory and reimbursement issues, lack of evidence of meaningful impact, and legal liability, integrating data from wearables into clinical decision-making has not been at a high pace currently. However, their application is rapidly expanding, and with advancements made in manufacturing and technology, they may support improved decision-making by healthcare professionals and patients along the whole patient pathway.
How are wearable patches applicable in the healthcare system?
Wearable technology is marketed directly to consumers, typically heart patients, in the form of smartwatches, smart bands, wearable patches, etc., for improved, precise, accurate, and reliable diagnosis of heart rate, blood pressure, and so on.
Some of the common applications of wearable patches and technology are:
Activity Monitors: Wearables such as smartwatches have an accelerometer inserted that measures movement, often at the level of the wrist. With an algorithm, they convert the movement data into estimates of physical activity to provide results regarding heart health. In accelerometry, the type of movement influences the accuracy of the monitor, and wearable devices are observed to be less accurate at slow ambulation speeds, which are particularly not relevant for patients with sensitive hearts.
Heart Rate Monitors: Wearable patches are able to monitor heart rate via photoplethysmography (PPG), which uses a light-emitting diode (LED) to illuminate the capillary bed and thus monitors pulsatile alterations in light absorption in the same way as a pulse oximeter.
Facilitating Exercise and Rehabilitation: Activity monitors are typically used by healthy adults to support and track fitness goals. Moreover, with various technological advancements in wearable patches, they hold the ability to measure exertion, which means that such wearables could also serve as a useful tool for supporting activity and rehabilitation in people with sensitive hearts.
Monitoring Response to Treatment: These wearables can be used as a research tool in a quantitative manner to measure response to treatments. For instance, as reported by a double-blind crossover trial of isosorbide mononitrate (ISMN), nitrate prescription has shown lesser positive results in patients with sensitive hearts.
Conclusion
The demand for wearable patches has increased worldwide with the increase in continuous monitoring and minimum interference with body movement for the measurement of vital signs of patients and chronic diseases. Moreover, the global wearable patches market is expected to witness significant growth due to the rise in the geriatric population and rising technological advancements.
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