New York: Data collected by smartwatches and smart rings can be used to predict the flare-up of chronic health problems, and even identify the deterioration of related symptoms, according to research from experts at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

According to Qatar News Agency, the research, published in a Gastroenterology journal, suggests that wearable devices sold by companies like Apple, Fitbit, and Oura can be effective tools for monitoring chronic inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a condition that causes inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.

The study monitored biomarkers like heart rate variability, oxygen levels, daily activity, and heart rate in over 300 participants.

The researchers found that these biomarkers were affected when participants showed inflammation symptoms of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, two predominant forms of IBD. Notably, the biomarkers measured by wearable devices also shifted in the absence of visible symptoms, changing up to seven
weeks before the symptoms appeared.

These physiological markers could detect inflammation even when symptoms were not present and could differentiate whether symptoms were due to active inflammation in the intestines, as indicated by the study.