Wearable devices: underrepresentation in the ageing society

Older people are underrepresented in many wearable device studies, such as the Apple Heart Study.3 With a mean age of 41 and less than 6% of participants aged above 65, its initially claimed sensitivity in detecting atrial fibrillation dropped significantly in the validation study with a mean age of 76.4 The issue of underrepresented populations can be further complicated with underrepresented data (ie, data loss due to suboptimal acceptance or adherence to wearables) caused by a decline in cognitive capacity in people with dementia.

Wearable devices: underrepresentation in the ageing society - The Lancet Digital Health