A team of Dutch researchers has recently confirmed the connection between heart rate at its resting state and diabetes. The study has further supported the idea of using wearable heart rate monitor that detects hypoglycemia in order to confirm future susceptibility towards diabetes.
Right from the basic pedometers used traditionally till the recent revolution of wearable devices, a change in the technology over the period of time is now able to provide more accurate information related to the current health condition as well as future precautions.
Hypoglycemia is a condition associated with the lowered glycemic index and is found to be very common in children as well as young adults. When ignored for a longer time period, it may be a leading cause of seizures, loss of consciousness, and also death in extreme cases. Previously, scientists were able to relate variable heart rates with hypoglycemia; in this regard, multiple wearable heart rate monitor for hypoglycemia are promoted currently. Although all of them serve a similar purpose of detecting hypoglycemia, you can choose the best suitable one on the basis of a key difference in the methodology incorporated and variable designs.
Chest Straps
These are classical wearable heart rate monitors that detect hypoglycemia. Many of them are made up of built-in electrode pad that is being pressed against your skin along with snap-on transmitter and a long, elastic band that can be wrapped around the chest tightly. During each pumping of the blood, electrical conductivity is being picked up by the electrodes and is recorded as a signal. Have you ever noted ECG? The big, pointed line facing upward in an electrocardiogram referred as the R interval is considered to be the point of contraction of the left ventricle.
Pros of using Chest straps
Since nearly four decades, people have acknowledged the usage of these chest belts as the best wearable heart rate monitor that detects hypoglycemia, making them a gold standard. It has a detachable transmitter, which picks up electrical signals sent off by the beating heart. The information is decoded through microprocessor as a recorder. The device has a strong connectivity through an inbuilt chip and a Bluetooth. The device is thus believed to be the most common, reliable, and durable option for people who loved to be fitness freaks.
Cons of using chest straps
For obese people and women, the belt is not proposed to be the ideal wearable heart rate monitor that detects hypoglycemia; since it is being placed just below the nipple line. As the position of the monitor for detecting hypoglycemia is important, if you place it away from the heart; there are more chances of getting wrong results.
Wrist-Worn Straps
The sleek device is most loved as the wearable heart rate monitor that detects hypoglycemia due to its user-friendly design. A technology known to be as photoplethysmography (PPG) is used inherently in this device, wherein light-sensitive diodes detect heartbeats on the basis of light absorption between the beats, upon the flow of blood through the wrist. The inbuilt sensor will process the information in the form of an algorithm along with an accelerometer to show heart rate.
Pros of using wrist-worn
Although debuted recently, the device is highly acknowledged due to its accuracy by brands like Apple, Fitbit ionic, etc. As compared to chest strap, the device is more easy to use and looks better.
Cons of using wrist-worn
Since the technology is based on absorption of light through the skin, the skin color and size of your wrist matters a lot! In case of darker skins and/or small, bony wrists, the absorption will interfere with heart rate measurements.
Ear Ons
These ones look similar to earphones, and alternatively, some will go on the top of the ear, as well as some can be fixed on the earlobes. These heart rate monitors for hypoglycemia use the same PPG technology to detect heartbeats. However, less blood flows through the ear as compared to the wrist and has to be placed really tight on the body for better accuracy.
Pros of using ear ons
For many people who love to run and don’t like wearing anything on the wrist; the device is attractive enough to be used as earphones.
Cons of using ear ons
People have not acknowledged them very much since just like headphone, these earphones also happen to fall out once the wearer starts running faster. Similar to irregular music beats, heart beats also get irregularly measured.