A good night’s sleep makes everything better. Sleep is a vital time of restoration and rejuvenation. It is only when you are asleep that your body can reach the peak of its recovery powers. Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock, this is old news. It is hard to miss the tide of interviews and articles from sleep experts, influencers and health professionals praising the benefits of a good night’s sleep. Sleep has a universally favorable approval rating. Making good sleep a priority is one of the most rewarding decisions you can make for your health and personal well-being. It is the great mu ..read more

Using Garmin smartwatches, researchers have found that tracking physical activity levels in cardiovascular patients can help lead to better self-reported quality of life. The German Heart Centre in Munich, in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), is at the forefront of cardiovascular care, particularly when it comes to congenital heart defects (CHDs). The two institutions have been using Garmin smartwatches to monitor physical activity in patients for years, beginning in pediatrics with the Garmin vívofit jr. fitness tracker and transitioning more recently to vívofi ..read more

HumanITcare and VitalAire Brazil are using Garmin wearables to help revolutionise remote monitoring of patients who rely on long-term oxygen therapy, potentially resulting in timely interventions and personalised care — all from the comfort of patients’ homes. A recent collaboration between connected health company, HumanITcare, and global leader in service and support for home oxygen therapy, VitalAire, a segment of Air Liquide in Brazil, and Garmin, a global leading provider in smartwatches, has made waves in the monitoring of patients with chronic diseases. The project, VitalSign ..read more

The Garmin Health Research Glimpse is our latest blog series exploring the ever-increasing presence of Garmin in the health and clinical research world. It will give an overview of how Garmin wearable devices and the Garmin Health Connected Ecosystem are being harnessed to provide vital data for clinical trials and studies around the globe 1. Whether it’s boosting mental health, improving surgery outcomes or enhancing results of physical activity, each post will delve into the aims and outcomes of the featured studies. In this article, we’ll explore groundbreaking research utili ..read more

In a new study, health technology company Aparito investigated the use of Garmin fitness trackers to assess sleep quality¹ in individuals affected by adult-onset idiopathic isolated focal cervical dystonia (AOIFCD). AOIFCD is a neurological disorder characterised by involuntary neck spasms that can significantly impact sleep. With sleep-related challenges reported by up to 70% of AOIFCD patients, this study aimed to provide a more accessible alternative to smaller polysomnography studies. By evaluating sleep architecture, researchers sought to gain valuable insights into the sle ..read more

Project Chéria participants who tracked physiological data using Garmin smartwatches were less likely to report symptoms of major depressive disorder According to a recent report by the World Health Organisation, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a 25% rise in depression and anxiety worldwide. But the situation is not hopeless. A recent study showed that participants wearing Garmin smartwatches to track physiological data were less likely to report symptoms of major depressive disorder. The study was a result of a collaboration between Labfront, ThoughtFull  ..read more

In an effort to improve post-surgical outcomes following major surgery, digital healthcare solutions provider Health Circuit has trialed a personalised prehabilitation programme at tertiary hospitals in Europe. The programme employs Health Circuit’s Prehab digital health application to prescribe exercise and the Garmin vívosmart 4 fitness tracker to collect activity data. Combining medical support and patient self-management with the aim of reducing post-surgical complications and improve post-surgical outcomes. Prehab and Garmin Better conditioning before surgery ..read more

The COVID-19 lockdown emphasised the need for innovative, successful and convenient remote patient monitoring (RPM) solutions. Aparito’s Atom5 smartphone app was deployed for oncology patients in a proof-of-concept project for tailored remote monitoring during the pandemic. The project offered valuable insight into the practicalities of implementing RPM for different patient populations. This was achieved by employing video assessments, patient self-reporting and telemedicine through the Atom5 app, teamed with the Garmin vívosmart 4 for activity tracking.1 Remote Patient Mo ..read more

Spoiler alert: Very few of you are getting excellent shut-eye. Sleep is an essential bodily function that directly impacts both your mental and physical health. At this point, we all know we should be aiming for 7-9 hours each night — and we know how we feel when we cut ourselves short. But correcting less-than-stellar habits is easier said than done, and knowing that you finally decided to put the phone on the nightstand at 11 p.m. and didn’t touch it again until 7 a.m. may not be sufficient information to analyze what actually happened in those 8 hours.  Here’s where your Garmin sl ..read more

Just diagnosed with hypertension or worried you might be at risk of hypertension? You’re not alone. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common issue affecting 1.13 billion people around the world1.  While it is treatable, fewer than 1 in 5 people have the condition under control, and many struggle to implement lifestyle changes that could help1. To help people take control of their health, Garmin and Merck  KGaA have brought to life “The Heartrate Project” – an easy-to-use resource giving you the essentials needed to take the first steps towards a healthier ..read more