Garmin promises better overview of relevant health parameters in future via new feature

Even cheap smartwatches can now record a wide range of parameters and not just heart rate and the number of steps taken. Instead, they can now also display heart rate variability, i.e., the variation in time intervals between individual heartbeats. It is not entirely unlikely that users will lose track of or fail to understand the significance of the individual values. Garmin supports the monitoring of various vital parameters with its wearables and aims to provide a better overview with its Health Status feature.

Specifically, a baseline for several parameters is recorded over a period of three to four weeks, namely heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration, oxygen saturation and skin frequency. This relatively long period is intended to lessen the significance of any short-term and abnormal readings. Health Status will not be available when the heart rate sensor is disabled or the device is in power saving mode.

The Health Status will displays the corresponding values and classify them directly, allowing users to see at a glance whether the values are within the range previously recorded by the device and within the previous period, or whether there are any deviations. In principle, such a feature could also provide indications of an illness, although it is of course not a medically sound and clinically validated measurement. Either way, the system could be useful for improved training control. Garmin expressly points out that this is a feature currently under development.