madman
Super Moderator
An Update on the Use of Wearable Devices in Men’s Health (2023)
Farhan M. Qureshi, Roei Golan, Armin Ghomeshi, Ranjith Ramasamy
Men’s health represents an often-overlooked aspect of public health. Men have higher mortality rates worldwide and are more negatively affected by chronic conditions such as obesity and heart disease, as well as addiction to alcohol and tobacco. Men also have health issues such as prostate cancer and male sexual dysfunction which only affect them. Because of the skewed burden of morbidity and mortality on men, it is imperative from a public health perspective to make a concerted effort to specifically improve men’s health. The use of wearable devices in medical practice presents a novel avenue to invest in men’s health in a safe, easily scalable, and economic fashion. Wearable devices are now ubiquitous in society, and their use in the healthcare setting is only increasing with time. There are commercially available devices such as smartwatches which are available to lay people and healthcare professionals alike to improve overall health and wellness, and there are also purpose-built wearable devices that are used to track or treat a specific disease. In our review of the literature, we found that while research in the field of wearable devices is still in its early stages, there is ample evidence that wearable devices can greatly improve men’s health in the long term.
INTRODUCTION
Sex and gender can dictate how diseases affect individuals physically, mentally, and socially. Surmounting these differences remains a unique challenge in healthcare, particularly when it comes to men’s health. Data from the Human Mortality Database indicates that worldwide, men aged 15–40 die at a rate 2–3 times higher than women and that this gender gap in mortality continues to increase with age [1]. Men also experience higher mortality in nine out of the ten highest causes of death in the United States [2]. While this gender gap in mortality should be of utmost concern, it is important to note that men also have generally worse outcomes when considering diseases that place a large burden on the healthcare system [3,4]. Therefore, focusing on men’s health issues before they lead to mortality should remain a critical facet of public health initiatives that aim to reduce the strain on already overburdened healthcare systems worldwide. Specific issues which disproportionately affect men include lack of involvement in healthcare decisions, increased rates of tobacco and alcohol use, increased rates of obesity and heart disease, prostate cancer, and male-specific sexual health. These men’s health issues incur a significant economic burden on our healthcare system; therefore, it stands to reason that we must invest specifically in men’s health. However, despite current efforts to invest in public health infrastructure, men’s health has not been made a top priority at a national level [2,4-6]
Wearable technology represents a novel way to invest in men’s health in a safe, effective, and economic manner. While the use of wearable technology in healthcare seems like a far-off concept, the idea of wearable devices has been around for some time. The first wearable computers were developed in the 1960s, and in the six decades since, wearable device technology has improved exponentially [7]. Wearable devices come in many forms, both in research applications as well as commercially available products. Some of the most recognizable smart devices are smart watches and smart glasses produced by companies such as Apple or Google, but other wearable devices with healthcare applications include smart garments, hand and footworn devices, patch-embedded sensors, and implants [8] (Table 1). Because of their portability and ability to continuously monitor patients, wearable devices enhance access to care in underserved areas by providing users with another mode of interaction with healthcare providers without having to go to the hospital or doctor’s office [9]. In addition, wearable devices may help surmount psychosocial barriers to receiving healthcare, such as anxiety or embarrassment, by limiting the necessary number of appointments and hospital visits for patients. Perhaps the most widely studied wearable technologies currently used in healthcare are the continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and insulin pumps used by diabetics. These devices make a time-consuming and uncomfortable task (i.e., blood glucose measurement, insulin injection) into a simple, almost automatic process. CGMs and insulin pumps are wearable devices shown to be superior to traditional methods [10] and are widely used by 40% of patients with type 1 diabetes [11]. Thus, wearable devices have already been shown to be a powerful tool for improving health. With regards to men’s health specifically, there have been great strides in using commercially available wearable devices to manage chronic medical conditions, while custom devices such as FirmTech’s erection ring (https:// myfirmtech.com/) and Morari Medical’s premature ejaculation patch (Morari Medical) represent a new frontier in wearable technology for men’s sexual health. In the following review, we have identified five different domains of men’s health and outlined how both tailor-made and commercially available wearable devices are used in the management of these conditions.
*HEALTHY LIFESTYLES AND WELLBEING
*TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL USE
*OBESITY AND HEART DISEASE
*PROSTATE CANCER
*MEN’S SEXUAL HEALTH
CONCLUSION
While wearable devices are still in their nascent stages in the healthcare arena, it is already evident that men’s health will be positively impacted using wearable technology. Wearable devices are simple to use and implement in a healthcare setting and can either be purchased off-the-shelf or produced specifically for the treatment of different conditions. Already, physicians and national healthcare systems are incorporating these devices into their practice because of the accurate user feedback, monitoring, and awareness they provide [7,18]. Meanwhile, continuous technological advancements are increasing the accuracy of measurements made by wearable devices, while also expanding their use for a variety of different diseases. As these advances are made, we expect wearable devices to have more integration in the management of men’s health.
Farhan M. Qureshi, Roei Golan, Armin Ghomeshi, Ranjith Ramasamy
Men’s health represents an often-overlooked aspect of public health. Men have higher mortality rates worldwide and are more negatively affected by chronic conditions such as obesity and heart disease, as well as addiction to alcohol and tobacco. Men also have health issues such as prostate cancer and male sexual dysfunction which only affect them. Because of the skewed burden of morbidity and mortality on men, it is imperative from a public health perspective to make a concerted effort to specifically improve men’s health. The use of wearable devices in medical practice presents a novel avenue to invest in men’s health in a safe, easily scalable, and economic fashion. Wearable devices are now ubiquitous in society, and their use in the healthcare setting is only increasing with time. There are commercially available devices such as smartwatches which are available to lay people and healthcare professionals alike to improve overall health and wellness, and there are also purpose-built wearable devices that are used to track or treat a specific disease. In our review of the literature, we found that while research in the field of wearable devices is still in its early stages, there is ample evidence that wearable devices can greatly improve men’s health in the long term.
INTRODUCTION
Sex and gender can dictate how diseases affect individuals physically, mentally, and socially. Surmounting these differences remains a unique challenge in healthcare, particularly when it comes to men’s health. Data from the Human Mortality Database indicates that worldwide, men aged 15–40 die at a rate 2–3 times higher than women and that this gender gap in mortality continues to increase with age [1]. Men also experience higher mortality in nine out of the ten highest causes of death in the United States [2]. While this gender gap in mortality should be of utmost concern, it is important to note that men also have generally worse outcomes when considering diseases that place a large burden on the healthcare system [3,4]. Therefore, focusing on men’s health issues before they lead to mortality should remain a critical facet of public health initiatives that aim to reduce the strain on already overburdened healthcare systems worldwide. Specific issues which disproportionately affect men include lack of involvement in healthcare decisions, increased rates of tobacco and alcohol use, increased rates of obesity and heart disease, prostate cancer, and male-specific sexual health. These men’s health issues incur a significant economic burden on our healthcare system; therefore, it stands to reason that we must invest specifically in men’s health. However, despite current efforts to invest in public health infrastructure, men’s health has not been made a top priority at a national level [2,4-6]
Wearable technology represents a novel way to invest in men’s health in a safe, effective, and economic manner. While the use of wearable technology in healthcare seems like a far-off concept, the idea of wearable devices has been around for some time. The first wearable computers were developed in the 1960s, and in the six decades since, wearable device technology has improved exponentially [7]. Wearable devices come in many forms, both in research applications as well as commercially available products. Some of the most recognizable smart devices are smart watches and smart glasses produced by companies such as Apple or Google, but other wearable devices with healthcare applications include smart garments, hand and footworn devices, patch-embedded sensors, and implants [8] (Table 1). Because of their portability and ability to continuously monitor patients, wearable devices enhance access to care in underserved areas by providing users with another mode of interaction with healthcare providers without having to go to the hospital or doctor’s office [9]. In addition, wearable devices may help surmount psychosocial barriers to receiving healthcare, such as anxiety or embarrassment, by limiting the necessary number of appointments and hospital visits for patients. Perhaps the most widely studied wearable technologies currently used in healthcare are the continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and insulin pumps used by diabetics. These devices make a time-consuming and uncomfortable task (i.e., blood glucose measurement, insulin injection) into a simple, almost automatic process. CGMs and insulin pumps are wearable devices shown to be superior to traditional methods [10] and are widely used by 40% of patients with type 1 diabetes [11]. Thus, wearable devices have already been shown to be a powerful tool for improving health. With regards to men’s health specifically, there have been great strides in using commercially available wearable devices to manage chronic medical conditions, while custom devices such as FirmTech’s erection ring (https:// myfirmtech.com/) and Morari Medical’s premature ejaculation patch (Morari Medical) represent a new frontier in wearable technology for men’s sexual health. In the following review, we have identified five different domains of men’s health and outlined how both tailor-made and commercially available wearable devices are used in the management of these conditions.
*HEALTHY LIFESTYLES AND WELLBEING
*TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL USE
*OBESITY AND HEART DISEASE
*PROSTATE CANCER
*MEN’S SEXUAL HEALTH
CONCLUSION
While wearable devices are still in their nascent stages in the healthcare arena, it is already evident that men’s health will be positively impacted using wearable technology. Wearable devices are simple to use and implement in a healthcare setting and can either be purchased off-the-shelf or produced specifically for the treatment of different conditions. Already, physicians and national healthcare systems are incorporating these devices into their practice because of the accurate user feedback, monitoring, and awareness they provide [7,18]. Meanwhile, continuous technological advancements are increasing the accuracy of measurements made by wearable devices, while also expanding their use for a variety of different diseases. As these advances are made, we expect wearable devices to have more integration in the management of men’s health.
