{"id":483428,"date":"2026-02-18T17:18:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T17:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/483428\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T17:18:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T17:18:09","slug":"smartwatches-and-rings-can-track-your-heart-but-your-data-may-be-sold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/483428\/","title":{"rendered":"Smartwatches and rings can track your heart \u2014 but your data may be sold"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOUSTON \u2013 February is American Heart Month, and many people are turning to wearable tech like smartwatches and rings to keep an eye on their heart health<\/a>. <\/p>\n

But how reliable are the alerts these devices provide?<\/p>\n

Cardiologist Dr. Nidal Ganim of Vital Heart & Vein says these devices can be helpful but understanding what they measure and how to use the data is key.<\/p>\n

What these devices can track<\/p>\n

Smartwatches like the Apple Watch and wearable rings like Whoop and Oura track a variety of metrics, including:<\/p>\n

Sleep quality<\/p>\n

Recovery and strain<\/p>\n

Resting heart rate<\/p>\n

EKG readings (Apple Watch)<\/p>\n

Dr. Ganim notes that some devices can detect atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat. \u201cIf you get an alert for atrial fibrillation, that\u2019s important to share with your doctor,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Another lesser-known metric is heart rate variability (HRV), Dr. Ganim explained. \u201cIf your HRV is low, it usually means your body is under constant stress,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Dr. Ganim noted that this stress can lead to inflammation, fatigue, low energy, and sleep disturbances, and it puts extra strain on the heart by raising blood pressure and heart rate, which increases the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.<\/p>\n

Stress, emotions, and heart health<\/p>\n

Dr. Ganim also highlighted the prevalence of heart disease in the U.S., noting that \u201cheart disease affects 50% of U.S. adults.<\/p>\n

\u201cDiet, exercise, and family history are important, but stress, negative emotions, fear, and worry also impact the heart.\u201d he emphasizes that lifestyle and emotional health play a huge role in heart health. <\/p>\n

Using wearables wisely<\/p>\n

While wearables can provide valuable insights, Dr. Ganim cautions about privacy and over-reliance on data. \u201cTech companies offer great products, but your data may be sold.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wearable devices are more than just a way to tell time, they\u2019re a window into your heart and overall well-being. But understanding what the numbers mean and using them alongside professional guidance is essential.<\/p>\n

As Dr. Ganim reminds us, small lifestyle changes and a positive mindset can make a measurable difference for your heart health.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 February is American Heart Month, and many people are turning to wearable tech like smartwatches and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":483429,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[23436,49,48,3655,2771,408,195,84,2776,890,195158,226,64,61],"class_list":{"0":"post-483428","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gadgets","8":"tag-apple-watch","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-canada","11":"tag-cardiologist","12":"tag-diet","13":"tag-exercise","14":"tag-gadgets","15":"tag-health","16":"tag-heart","17":"tag-lifestyle","18":"tag-smartrings","19":"tag-smartwatch","20":"tag-tech","21":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/483428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=483428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/483428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/483429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=483428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=483428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=483428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}