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Global Translational Medicine Personalized, multi-omics disease detection

initial roles as fitness companions to become valuable tools addition, CGMs can alert users to dangerous blood sugar
in the early detection and management of various health levels, allowing for prompt intervention and potentially
issues. Innovatively, proteomics techniques show promise preventing serious complications. 50,63 In theory, the
when connected to biosensors for monitoring the efficacy technique on which CGM is based could be tailored to
of skin graft transplantation. 53 measure any biomarker of interest or sets of biomarkers,
adding a deeper clinical depth to wearable devices. Serum
By leveraging advanced sensors and AI algorithms, these
devices can identify subtle deviations from established lactate has been identified as a marker of hypoxia and
can also serve as a potential biomarker for diagnosis of
baselines, often before symptoms manifest. Many wearable 64
technologies incorporate machine learning and AI-based NAFLD stage, and a glucose-lactate analyzer has been
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algorithms to interpret and report the collected data. To developed. Another expansive and important area being
date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has investigated is the ECG functionality in smartwatches,
approved several hundred AI-enabled medical devices, which can provide valuable insights into heart health,
including wearable health trackers. 54 aiding the early detection of arrhythmias and other cardiac
conditions. Apple’s Series 4 watch received clearance from
These novel measuring techniques are here to stay, the FDA in 2018 for its ECG app and enables users to
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and a canopy of interesting examples of where wearable monitor their heart rhythm and detect any irregularities,
devices aid in diagnosis are being presented – whether a feature that is now included in all Apple’s smartwatches.
for monitoring post-stroke patients’ activity in different Samsung, Garmin, and Withing’s ScanWatch have all
environments and providing valuable insights for care followed suit with the FDA. Omron, a well-known
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plans or for augmenting type 1 diabetes sensing, some blood pressure monitor provider, has now developed an
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devices incorporate skin temperature sensors that can be innovative wearable blood pressure monitor wristwatch,
used to detect fever, a potential sign of infection. Cardiac which is clinically accurate and is registered with the FDA
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functions can also be measured with similar accuracy as a medical device. 68
to electrocardiography (ECG) with in-ear wearables One of the most promising aspects of wearable trackers
using infrasonic hemodynography. Another well-tested is their ability to predict health events. By analyzing data
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system is remote photoplethysmography (PPG), which is trends, machine learning models can identify patterns
a noninvasive technique that uses a camera to measure associated with specific conditions. Irregular heart rate
changes in blood volume in the skin, providing an indirect patterns may signal the onset of cardiac arrhythmias, while
measurement of heart rate and other physiological changes in sleep duration and quality can hint at sleep
parameters. 48,59 This technology has numerous applications, disorders or compose early signs of neurodegeneration.
including telemedicine, sports and fitness monitoring, as This predictive power enables individuals and healthcare
well as sleep tracking. Using machine learning coupled with providers to take proactive measures to mitigate health
cloud computing allowed the detection of cardiovascular risks. In a notable application of smart rings, the technology
disease (CVD) based on PPG signals with an accuracy demonstrated its potential by accurately detecting early
of 99.5%, and there is already a company using remote signs of COVID-19 infection almost 3 days before a
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PPG (rPPG) for telemedicine, working together with the positive test result in a large cohort of more than 60,000
National Health Service in the United Kingdom. 61 participants. In fact, a scoping review described more
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As of now, one of the most prominent wearable than 20 different types of wearable technology that can be
monitoring technology is a continuous glucose monitor used to detect COVID-19 infections early, with reported
(CGM), a device that measures glucose levels in real accuracy values ranging from 75% to 94.4%. However,
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time. CGM devices are minimally invasive, with a short further research is needed to validate the effectiveness and
needle inserted in the arm, constituting a glucose sampler clinical dependability of wearable technology before it can
connected to a battery and transmitter that communicates be used widely for remote surveillance. This underscores the
with a smart device to provide diabetes sufferers with a instrumental role of participant-co-designed digital tools
more comprehensive understanding of their blood sugar in healthcare advancement, particularly in early detection
fluctuations. Time in range has gradually emerged as a and proactive health monitoring. In addition, recent
key blood glucose metric, providing an additional layer of advancements in proteomics allowed for the analysis of
information that is “beyond HbA1c” for a deeper insight 180 samples/day, and the stratification of COVID severity
into glycemic control in diabetic individuals. CGMs can on a protein level. One cannot help to think about the
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help individuals make informed decisions about their implications for COVID research if wearable technology
diet, exercise, and insulin dosing, contributing to better was augmented by ultra-rapid proteomic analyses for
diabetes management and improved health outcomes. In precision medicine.

Volume 3 Issue 1 (2024) 4 https://doi.org/10.36922/gtm.2357