Benefits include more steps per day and more minutes engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
THURSDAY, June 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Smartphones and wearable devices are effective at increasing physical activity among patients with cardiovascular disease, according to research published online June 17 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Ajith Kumar Vemuri, Ph.D., from the College of Medicine at Pennsylvania State University in Hershey, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to determine if interventions composed of smartphones and wearables are effective in enhancing physical activity among individuals with cardiovascular disease.
Based on 14 randomized controlled trials (1,057 participants), the researchers found that interventions composed of smartphones and wearables resulted in a mean difference of 1,097.4 steps per day and 3.9 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day compared with control groups.
“Smartphones and wearables are already in people”s pockets and on their wrists,” Vemuri said in a statement. “When we show that these devices can effectively support routine care, we can start designing cost-effective, personalized digital interventions that reach a much wider population.”
Aerobic Training, Behavioral Interventions Both Clinically Improve Asthma Control 
Smartwatches Significantly Overestimate How Many Calories Are Burned 
Evidence Insufficient to Support Routine Lumbar Support Use for Chronic Low Back Pain 
Maintaining Physical Activity Tied to Better Quality of Life With Multiple Sclerosis 
Therapies Compared for Newly Diagnosed Multiple Sclerosis 
Extreme Heat Linked to 33 Clinically Reportable Diagnoses 
MS-Related Mortality Rates Highest in Non-Hispanic Blacks 
Organized Sports-Based Interventions Can Improve Gross Motor Skills in Autism 
.jpeg)
