The sudden demise of Kannada actor Dileep Raj at 47 has reignited concerns over the growing dependence on smartwatches and wearable health devices during medical emergencies.
Reports suggest the actor experienced chest pain but delayed immediate medical attention after checking his smartwatch readings — once again raising questions over whether health gadgets are creating a false sense of reassurance.
Doctors say wearable technology has transformed preventive healthcare, but relying on gadgets during emergencies can prove dangerous. “Wearables are supportive tools, not diagnostic devices and definitely not substitutes for emergency medical care,” says Dr K. Saketh, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, Medicover hospitals.
According to him, a smartwatch may still show a “normal” heart rate during a heart attack, while pulse oximeters or BP monitors may miss evolving cardiac or neurological emergencies. “These devices measure limited parameters. They cannot detect blocked arteries, evolving ECG changes, strokes or internal organ damage,” he explains.
Doctors say wearable devices are designed for monitoring trends, not diagnosing medical emergencies.
Symptoms matter more than numbers
Doctors stress that warning signs should never be ignored simply because a gadget appears reassuring. Chest pain, heaviness in the chest, pain radiating to the jaw or left arm, sudden breathlessness, sweating, fainting, facial drooping, slurred speech, confusion or sudden weakness require immediate medical evaluation. “The biggest danger today is false reassurance,” says Dr Saketh. “People see a normal reading and assume nothing serious is happening. In emergencies like heart attack or stroke, every minute matters.”
Dr Sowjanya Shree Patibandla, chief emergency physician, Apollo Hospitals says emergency rooms are increasingly seeing patients arrive late because they trusted smartwatch readings over symptoms. “Some ignored chest pain or breathlessness because their watch showed normal vitals. Others panic over false alerts and rush unnecessarily to hospitals. Smartwatches should only be treated as screening tools,” she says.
Emergency rooms are also seeing people panic over inaccurate gadget alerts, leading to unnecessary hospital visits and anxiety, she adds.
Why consumer health gadgets can mislead
Doctors point out that most wearable devices are consumer grade products and not hospital level diagnostic tools. Smartwatch ECG features cannot replace hospital ECGs, cardiac enzyme tests or clinical examination.
l Motion or sweating
l Poor sensor contact
l Incorrect placement
l Low battery
l Device calibration issues
l Skin tone variations
l User interpretation
Dr Hemanth Kaukuntla, heart and lung transplant surgeon, Renova Century Hospital, says health gadgets only show trends and cannot replace proper medical assessment. “These devices are useful as warning signals, but they don’t show the complete picture. If someone has chest pain, breathlessness or palpitations, they should seek medical attention immediately instead of relying on one reading,” he says.
Smartwatches & fitness bands
l Helpful for: Heart rate trends, activity tracking, rhythm alerts
l Cannot detect: Heart attacks, blocked arteries, evolving strokes
Pulse Oximeters
l Helpful for: Oxygen saturation trends
l Limitation: Oxygen levels may remain normal during early cardiac emergencies
BP Monitors
l Helpful for: Tracking hypertension
l Limitation: Normal BP does not rule out stroke or cardiac issues
Glucose Trackers
l Helpful for: Monitoring sugar fluctuations
l Limitation: Cannot assess overall emergency condition
WARNING SIGNS NEVER TO IGNORE
l Chest pain or heaviness
l Sudden breathlessness
l Fainting or severe dizziness
l Facial drooping
l Slurred speech
l Sudden weakness on one side
l Severe sweating
l Confusion or seizures
Growing risk of self diagnosis
Another emerging concern is excessive self diagnosis through apps and health trackers. Doctors warn that over dependence on gadgets may either create panic over harmless fluctuations or delay treatment during genuine emergencies. “The goal should be medical awareness, not medical dependence. Technology can alert us, but it cannot replace clinical judgement,” says Dr Saketh.
For doctors, the message is simple: in an emergency, symptoms override smartwatch readings — and timely medical care matters more than any gadget.
‘Code PULSE’
For Cardiac Emergencies Apollo has launched “Code PULSE”, an advanced emergency response protocol for severe cardiac arrest cases where standard CPR fails. The system uses ECMO support to temporarily take over heart and lung function, while a specialised emergency team performs rapid life saving intervention. The protocol also integrates mechanical CPR, bedside ultrasound and emergency cardiac procedures to improve survival chances in critical cases.
“Some patients ignore chest pain or breathlessness because their smartwatch shows normal readings. Smartwatches should only be treated as screening tools.”
— Dr Sowjanya Shree Patibandla
“These devices are useful as warning signals, but they do not show the complete clinical picture. If someone has chest pain or breathlessness, they should seek medical attention immediately instead of relying on one gadget reading.”
— Dr Hemanth Kaukuntla
“Wearables are supportive tools, not diagnostic devices and definitely not substitutes for emergency medical care. Symptoms override readings. In emergencies like heart attack or stroke, every minute matters.”
— Dr K. Saketh
