Physiological Data Collected From Wearable Devices Identify and Predict Inflammatory Bowel Disease Flares

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Digital Health
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Wearable devices noninvasively monitor physiological signals.
• Several physiological parameters correlate with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate the association between physiological metrics and IBD flares.
• Determine how these metrics change preceding an IBD flare.

Main Methods:

• Participants used wearable devices (Apple Watch, Fitbit, Oura Ring) to collect HR, RHR, HRV, steps, and oxygenation.
• Disease activity surveys and standard of care biomarkers were also collected.
• Statistical models analyzed physiological data for associations and predictive capabilities.

Main Results:

• Circadian HRV patterns differed between flare and remission states.
• Elevated HR and RHR, and reduced steps were observed during flares.
• Physiological metrics altered up to 7 weeks before symptomatic and inflammatory IBD flares.

Conclusions:

• Longitudinal data from wearables can identify IBD flares.
• Wearable device metrics show potential for monitoring and predicting IBD activity.