"Fitbits and other wearables may not accurately track heart rates in people of color" STAT News

Very significant for POC who are trying to track heart rates. Also makes one wonder about other factors that impact accuracy.
"An estimated 40 million people in the United States have smartwatches or fitness trackers that can monitor their heartbeats. But some people of color may be at risk of getting inaccurate readings.
.....
The potential inaccuracies have broad implications for the growing body of scientific research that relies on these wearables — as well as for the increasing number of people whose employers offer financial incentives or other benefits for using Fitbits and other trackers.
....
In short: Skin with more melanin blocks green light, making it harder to get an accurate reading. The darker your skin is, the harder it gets.
"

https://www.statnews.com/2019/07/24...il&utm_term=0_8cab1d7961-f3f1434dce-130622217



(paper referenced in this article
Accuracy in Wrist-Worn, Sensor-Based Measurements of Heart Rate and Energy Expenditure in a Diverse Cohort
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/7/2/3)

 

This would be pretty obvious to users - dropouts when they check their data. I don't think these users are being misled about their heartrates, I think they're being sold ineffective junk.

I find light based heart rate monitors to be unreliable and I have pale skin...

 

This is interesting. But relatively, they should still be able so show an increase/decrease relative to averages, right? Unless the poorer signal from melanin somehow fluctuates based on other factors.

 

It might be the individual fitbits. My readings are consistent over my fitbit, blood pressure machine and O2 monitor; ususally identical never more that 2 out.

As I don't know my anaerobic threshold anyway, I use it to know if HR is going up or down and by how much. It is remarkable how well it tracks my illness.