Wear smartwatches? They might cause anxiety, warn experts

Nowadays in the fitnessobsessed world it is not an uncommon sight to see people looking repetitively at their smartwatches to meet their desired step targetburn calories etc without knowing that this can trigger anxiety experts said on SaturdayWearable devices particularly medicalgrade ones have grown in popularity especially among the younger generation who want to stay informed about their healthAnd to treat the body like a temple is certainly a noble thing to do but doing it in extremes proves countereffective as Oscar Wilde said that whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing it often has a noble motiveA recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association on July 16 2024 found that patients with irregular heartbeat or atrial fibrillation AF used a wearable device known as WearablesWearable users reported significantly higher rates of symptom monitoring preoccupation and increased treatment concernsAs much as 20 per cent of wearable users experienced anxiety prompting them to contact their doctors in response to irregular rhythm notificationsThese individuals then underwent significantly more ECGs echocardiogramstransesophageal echocardiograms and AF ablation an invasive procedure to burn electrical pathwaysWearable devices like Apple Watch and Fitbit are popular for monitoring health Still they can also cause anxiety in users due to the unfiltered information they provide as many lack the knowledge or perspective to interpret itWearable devices though an attractive option for monitoring our health however are also a source of enhanced anxiety in some of the users The use of medicalgrade wearable devices like the Apple Watch and other brands like Fitbit etc have become a rage especially in the younger generation eager to know it all without realising the side effects of this unfiltered deluge of information Most individuals dont have the knowledge or right perspective to interpret the data these machines are vomiting out Vinayak Agrawal Senior Director and Head NonInvasive Cardiology Fortis Memorial Research Institute told IANSHeart rate variability is a common concern leading to panic reactions and high blood pressureHypersensitive users may experience panic attacks leading to medical advice or emergency procedures such as ECG ECHO Holter and CT coronary angiograms which encourage hypochondriaclike behavioursThe commonest query is the extremes of heart rate variability Is it too low or why is it 150 beats per minutehellip am I going to have a stroke or heart failure etc These panic reactions are common among some users who tend to be hypersensitive about their health issues These minipanic attacks then lead invariably to high blood pressure and heart rate readings eventually forcing these individuals to seek medical opinion or rush to emergency and undergo additional highend tests like ECG ECHO Holter and CT coronary angiograms etc said AgrawalThe devices arent wrong but their excessive use is knowledge should have perspective too a word of warning as per the expertsAlso Read Midday Explains Weightloss drugs diet fads viral trends Are they worth it for weight management Experts answerThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever