Dr Louise Buchanan is a consultant cardiologist and associate medical director, who supports patients with a range of heart conditions at both the Cumberland Infirmary and the West Cumberland Hospital.
She was recently asked to appear on a national radio station to talk about the benefits of smart watches when it comes to heart health. It followed reports of Andrew Thompson from Dunbartonshire in Scotland whose smart watch alerted him to the fact his heart beat was extremely low. When he asked his GP about it he was referred for a pacemaker – it may have saved his life as he had no symptoms at all to alert him otherwise.
Dr Buchanan explained: “Smart watches themselves shouldn’t be used as a diagnostic tool – they don’t let you know that you have a heart condition. What they do is alert you to trends that may indicate something is wrong. Mr Thompson’s watch alerted him to the fact that his heart beat was low at certain times over the same week – particularly when he was sleeping.
“If your smart watch is alerting you to the suggestion something is out of the ordinary repeatedly, it is important to tell your doctor. This is important even if you have no other symptoms but especially if there are also symptoms of shortness of breath, dizziness, black outs or chest pain. Relevant tests can then be arranged and treatments given as required.
“However, if there is a one-off abnormality with no symptoms then this would not be a cause for concern.
“The technology has developed significantly and with the information available now with smart watches this can help people identify problems but also help the cardiologists in understanding the symptoms of patients.”
“Smart watches are also very useful for tracking fitness. Not only can the heart rate be monitored to ensure in the correct range during exercise, but can also monitor steps, calories and sleep which are all important for a healthy lifestyle.”
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key to prevent the likelihood of developing heart disease and preventing heart attacks. Your smart watch can highlight trends in heart rate that may signal a problem but it’s also important that people realise the symptoms of heart attacks.
Dr Buchanan added: “The NHS has launched a campaign to help the public understand more about the symptoms of a heart attack. This is because a survey revealed more than half did not know that sweating, light-headedness, chest pain that feels like indigestion and feeling sick were also symptoms of a heart attack. If there are any symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or blackouts then the GP should be contacted.
“The GP will take a history, do a clinical examination and blood tests if required. They may perform an electrocardiogram. Dependent on this the GP may decide to refer to cardiology services.
“Across north Cumbria, we want people to dial 999 as soon as they start experiencing symptoms and they can be brought via ambulance to the Heart Centre at the Cumberland Infirmary where we offer 24/7 emergency treatment, which can be life-saving.”
Common signs and symptoms of a heart attack are:
- chest pain or discomfort in your chest that suddenly occurs and doesn't go away. It may feel like pressure, tightness or squeezing
- the pain may spread to your left or right arm or may spread to your neck, jaw, back or stomach
- you may also feel sick, sweaty, light-headed or short of breath
- Other less common symptoms include a sudden feeling of anxiety that can feel similar to a panic attack or excessive coughing or wheezing.