Beyond the Numbers: A Doctor’s Guide to Your Wearable Data

October 19, 2026

HIGHLIGHTS

Speakers

Dr. Justine Ko, Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine
Dr. Lisa Koers, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine with a focus on integrative medicine
Dr. Sowmya Sanapala, Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine
Dr. Arnab Ghosh, Associate Professor of Medicine specializing in hospital medicine

If you’re a health-conscious individual, wearable devices are part of your health regimen, right up there with diet, exercise, regular check-ups and screenings. A recent webinar, offered by Weill Cornell Medicine, drew on the expertise of physicians across several disciplines. They spoke about how wearables help track key aspects of your cardiovascular health, along with other important indicators, such as your step count and the quality and duration of your sleep.

Not only do wearables monitor these indicators on a daily basis; they track your progress over time.

Wearables include:

smartwatches
wrist bands
rings
chest straps or bands

They collect real-time health and performance data, such as your:

heart rate – the number of heartbeats per minute; an abnormal heart rate is greater than 120 beats per minute (bpm).
heart rate variability (HRV) – the fluctuation in the time interval between heartbeats, measured in milliseconds
step count
blood oxygen level
sleep (stages, duration)
body temperature

In addition to the above, your wearable device can assess the impact of the lifestyle changes you make over time.

Your wearable device data can be a powerful tool in an emergency.

For example:

A combination of a fever and a racing heart can be an early sign of sepsis (a life-threatening infection).
An irregular heart rate can indicate atrial fibrillation (AFib), an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm that can cause clots and increase the risk of stroke and other serious cardiac events.
If your blood oxygen level falls below 90 percent, that may signal respiratory distress.

Exercise factoids

Wearables have been shown to increase a person’s physical activity.
10,000 steps a day is still a good target.
Aim for 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic exercise.
Your maximum heart rate during exercise should be 220 bpm minus your age.
Pay attention to heat advisories, which can cause the loss of fluid through sweat. Stay hydrated.
When the air quality is unhealthy, stay indoors—especially if you have asthma or COPD.

“Your wearable is like a coach on your wrist or finger.” – Dr. Ko

“In addition to blood tests and imaging, your device’s data will help emergency doctors determine whether you can go home or should stay in the hospital.” – Dr. Ghosh

Key takeaways

Your wearable is a powerful tool in an emergency.
Look at the trend of your data, not a single number.
Wearables have been shown to increase a person’s physical activity.
10,000 steps a day is still a good target.
Pay attention to heat advisories, especially the loss of fluid through sweat. Stay hydrated.
When the air quality is unhealthy, stay indoors—especially if you have asthma or COPD.

A wearable device, and the data it provides, is not a doctor. See your doctor for a complete assessment of your health.