Ann Rehabil Med.  2022 Aug;46(4):209-218. 10.5535/arm.22050.

Accuracy and Validity of Commercial Smart Bands for Heart Rate Measurements During Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test

• Kim C
• Kim SH
• Suh MR

• KMID: 2532954
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5535/arm.22050

Abstract

Objective
To assess the accuracies and validities of popular smart bands for heart rate (HR) measurement in cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients during a graded exercise test (GXT).
Methods
Seventy-eight patients were randomly assigned to wear two different smart bands out of three possible choices: Samsung Galaxy Fit 2, Xiaomi Mi Band 5, or Partron PWB-250 on each wrist. A 12-lead exercise electrocardiogram (ECG) and patch-type single-lead ECG were used to assess the comparative HR accuracy of the smart bands. The HR was recorded during the GXT using the modified Bruce protocol.
Results
The concordance correlation coefficients (r_c) were calculated to provide a measure of agreement between each device and the ECG. In all conditions, the Mi Band 5 and Galaxy Fit 2’ correlations were r_c>0.90, while the PWB-250 correlation was r_c=0.58 at rest. When evaluating the accuracy according to the magnitude of HR, all smart bands performed well (r_c>0.90) when the HR was below 100 but accuracy tended to decrease with higher HR values.
Conclusion
This study showed that the three smart bands had a high level of accuracy for HR measurements during low-intensity exercise. However, during moderate-intensity and high-intensity exercise, all the three smart bands performed less accurately. Further studies are needed to find a more optimal smart band for HR measurement that can be used for precise HR monitoring during formal cardiac rehabilitation exercise training, including at high and maximal intensity (Clinical Trial Registration No. cris.nih.go.kr/KCT0007036).

Keyword

Cardiac rehabilitation; Heart rate; Exercise test; Telemedicine; Wearable electronic devices

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Timeline of GXT and HR measurement. HR was recorded every two minutes during the rest period. HR was recorded every minute during all exercise stages until termination of the test. HR was recorded every minute during recovery phase. GXT, graded exercise test; HR, heart rate.

• 

  Fig. 2 Concordance correlation coefficients describing agreement of device-measured HR with ECG during GXT. (A) MobiCare-MC 100. (B) Galaxy Fit 2. (C) Mi Band 5. (D) PWB-250. ECG, electrocardiogram; GXT, graded exercise test; HR, heart rate; rc, concordance correlation coefficient.

• 

  Fig. 3 Bland-Altman analysis and 95% limits of agreement with HR measured by ECG. (A) MobiCare-MC 100. (B) Galaxy Fit 2. (C) Mi Band 5. (D) PWB-250. Solid horizontal lines indicated the mean of HR differences, while dashed lines indicated the 95% confidence limits of agreement. ECG, electrocardiogram; HR, heart rate; SD, standard deviation.

• 

  Fig. 4 Concordance correlation coefficient of each HR interval. The accuracy of each device was evaluated for different HR intervals. The HR between 100 and 160 was divided by 20, and a graph of the rc values for each section was depicted. HR, heart rate; rc, concordance correlation coefficient.

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