Smartwatches are less effective at tracking the health of people with dark skin, study finds

  • Research pools data from 10 studies to examine impact of skin tone on accuracy
  • Found that measurements may be less accurate in people with darker skin tones
  • Signalling process doesn't work as well in skin that contains more melanin

By SOPHIE CURTIS FOR MAILONLINE

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In addition to the rising use of wearables to monitor physical activity and sleep patterns, interest in the use of consumer wearables for medical research and even early detection of heart problems has increased in recent years.

Dr Koerber said: 'There are a lot of claims that these devices can detect heart rhythm issues like tachycardia, bradycardia and even atrial fibrillation.

'We want to be able to inform health care providers about whether these are reliable sources for collecting data in all patients, regardless of skin tone.'

Dr Koerber says the study underscores the importance of ensuring technology meets the needs of diverse populations, especially when it is intended to improve health.

He said recent studies have reported that other devices – such as pulse oximeters used to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood – also don't perform as well for people with darker skin tones, which can lead to serious health consequences if problems go undetected.

'It is important to explore alternative options to make sure we can create a more equitable solution in health care and not just in the consumer industry,' Dr Koerber added.

'For example, there is some evidence to suggest that certain wavelengths of light, particularly green light, are more accurate in people across all skin tones.'

He is due to present the findings at the American College of Cardiology's annual conference in Washington DC next month.