![]() ![]() “We could see that there some differences in accuracy between, for example, different skin types and skin colors,” said Mikael Mattsson, a senior researcher at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet and an author on one of the only papers to examine the link between heart rate tracker accuracy and race.įitbit spokespeople told STAT it boosted the current that powers its green light in an effort to address the issue. The darker your skin is, the harder it gets. In short: Skin with more melanin blocks green light, making it harder to get an accurate reading. These lights are simpler and cheaper to use than the infrared lights that power hospital-grade heart rate trackers - but, because green light has a shorter wavelength, it is more readily absorbed by melanin, a natural skin pigment that is more prevalent in people with darker skin. ![]() But not all devices rely on the same kind of light.įitbits, Samsung watches, and several other brands rely on only green lights. In between beats, there is less blood volume at your wrist, and therefore more light that is reflected back to the sensor. ![]() Nearly all consumer devices that track heart rate rely on optical sensors that continuously monitor the volume of your blood. How patient records from one Boston hospital fueled an explosion in AI research in medicine But the companies that make the devices don’t disclose the fact that they could be less accurate for some consumers. There are a number of online complaints from consumers who suggest the devices can’t get a reading on darker skin. The phenomenon has received almost no media attention, even as the market for smartwatches and fitness trackers has grown exponentially in recent years - and as both consumers and scientists have raised broader concerns about the trackers’ accuracy. Other popular trackers, like the Apple Watch, use it, too - but simultaneously track heart rates with another method. Fitbit uses the potentially problematic technology in every heart rate tracker it offers, and it’s also in many Garmin and Samsung devices. Nearly all of the largest manufacturers of wearable heart rate trackers rely on technology that could be less reliable for consumers who have darker skin, according to researchers, engineers, and other experts who spoke with STAT. But some people of color may be at risk of getting inaccurate readings. Exclusive analysis of biotech, pharma, and the life sciences Learn MoreĪn estimated 40 million people in the United States have smartwatches or fitness trackers that can monitor their heartbeats. ![]()
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