The data collected by wearable devices may be able to tell you much more than how many steps you’ve taken or hours you’ve slept. A new long-term study from researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine suggests that fitness monitors, smart watches, and other wearable biosensors may be able to detect initial signs of illness before the wearer has noted any symptoms, according to a New Scientist report.
The results were published on January 12 in PLOS Biology. More than 40 individuals participated in the study and used wearable devices for up to two years. Researchers used the gadgets to track subjects’ pulse rates, skin temperature, and other measurements, and monitored when they deviated from normal baseline measurements. Sure enough, the researchers noticed that subjects exhibited an elevated heart rate up to three days before exhibiting signs of a cold or infection. Their skin temperature was sometimes higher, too.
via Mental Floss
