Researchers from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, have developed artificial intelligence (AI) capable of using wearable-collected data to predict the onset of health problems. Findings were published Feb. 23 in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
The study aimed to outline a possible foundation for wearable technology and AI could partner to predict illness. Researchers hope the technology pairing could assess changes in aerobic responses to identify the onset of respiratory or cardiovascular disease.
"The onset of a lot of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, has a direct impact on our aerobic fitness," said first author Thomas Beltrame, of the Institute of Computing in University of Campinas in Brazil, and colleagues. "In the near future, we believe it will be possible to continuously check your health, even before you realize that you need medical help."
The study included healthy males in their 20s who wore a shirt for four days with sensors measuring heart rate, breathing and movement. Researchers were then able to compare the collected data readings with laboratory responses to predict benchmarks in daily activities.
“In conclusion, aerobic system dynamics can be investigated during unsupervised activities of daily living by wearable sensors,” concluded Beltrame and colleagues. “Although speculative, these algorithms have the potential to be incorporated into wearable systems for early detection of changes in health status in realistic environments by detecting changes in aerobic response dynamics.”
Cara joined TriMed Media in 2016 and is currently a Senior Writer for Clinical Innovation & Technology. Originating from Detroit, Michigan, she holds a Bachelors in Health Communications from Grand Valley State University.