Consumer-grade wrist-worn PPG sensors can be used to detect differences in heart rate variability among a heterogeneous prediabetic population
Normally, measures of cardiac autonomic function must be taken in the clinic, making it difficult to perform remote and continuous assessment. Cardiac autonomic function is one of several functions that become dysregulated in diabetes progression, and monitoring the cardiac cycle may reveal signs of diabetes progression. To assess whether wrist-worn sensors could be used to perform continuous and remote monitoring of cardiac autonomic function, we monitored signs of cardiac autonomic neuropathy in study participants (n=18) along the T2DM spectrum using the Empatica E4, a wristband with multiple sensors including a photoplethysmograph (PPG). We processed the data and performed alignment of simultaneous Electrocardiogram (ECG) and PPG data and discovered five metrics that were consistent between the two measurements modalities, indicating accuracy of the PPG measurements for use toward these derived metrics. Among our study cohort, we did not find correlation between these five metrics and diabetic status.