Digital Health: Tracking Physiomes and Activity Using Wearable Biosensors Reveals Useful Health-Related Information.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Exploratory longitudinal cohort study monitoring physiological parameters with wearable sensors without a formal comparative control group.
PubMed 28081144 · doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.2001402
What was done
Continuous physiological tracking was conducted in up to 43 individuals using portable biosensors, capturing over 250,000 daily measurements across various activities and environments. Sensor data were combined with frequent medical measurements to establish personalized normalization frameworks and assess their utility in health monitoring, environmental exposure tracking, and disease detection.
What was found
The study observed personalized circadian variations and environmental shifts, including decreased peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) and increased radiation exposure during airline flights associated with fatigue. Wearable data identified early signs of Lyme disease and inflammatory responses, and distinguished physiological differences between insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant individuals. Specific numerical values and effect sizes were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This work demonstrates proof-of-concept for longitudinal multi-sensor tracking to establish personal physiological baselines and detect subclinical disease onset or metabolic differences.
Limits
The study is limited by a small sample size (up to 43 participants), lack of specific numerical data or confidence intervals in the abstract, and absence of an independent validation cohort.
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