Rising Prevalence of Chronic Diseases to Boost the use Wearable Medical Devices

Publisher: The Insight Partners

Wearable devices are known to help in the early diagnosis of various diseases. These devices are able to record basic health parameters such as, heart rate monitoring, blood pressure monitoring and tracking the daily activities. Wearable devices help in reducing the frequent visits to physicians as the patients are able to diagnose the cause of symptoms by themselves. There have been developments in the wearable devices meant for diagnosis and monitoring purposes. For instance, in May 2018, Cerebrotech Medical Systems, a medical device company situated in Pleasanton, CA, developed a portable device that can detect likely severe strokes within seconds. Various vital signs such as heart rate and blood pressure can be monitored. Companies such as, Garmin Corporation, Polar Electro, Fitbit, Inc. and Apple Inc., offer wearable devices that help to monitor heart rate.  With a rise in the number of people suffering from high blood pressure, there have been various companies that provide wearables that help in monitoring the blood pressure level. High blood pressure affects 1.13 billion people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Approximately 85 million in the U.S. have hypertension.

Rising prevalence of chronic diseases is expected to enhance the growth of wearable medical devices market from 2018 to 2025.

The global wearable medical devices market is expected to reach US$ 23,310.9 Mn in 2025 from US$ 6,231.7 Mn in 2017. The global wearable medical devices market is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 18.1% from 2016-2025. The market is expected to witness growth due to rise in the prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity and hypertension. However, the unaddressed regulatory concerns regarding wearable medical devices is expected to hamper the growth of wearable medical devices market.

Chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and obesity, are the leading causes of death in the world and account for most of the nation’s health care costs. According to report of CDC, in 2018, approximately more than 9% of the population has diabetes, which is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations in US. Moreover, the data also suggests that 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year in the US. The obesity rates have been increasing rapidly in developed as well as developing economies across the globe. Factors such as, sedentary life and unhealthy lifestyle are considered to be the major factors for the rise in the number of obese individuals. As per data published by The Organisation for Economic Co-operation, (OECD), in 2015, around 19.5% of the adult population was obese. Diabetes is a life-threatening disease with no specialized cure. Each year more and more people live with this condition, which can result in life-changing complications. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), in 2017, number of people with diabetes in North America was approximately 46 million which is expected to grow at 62 million in 2045. Hence, the rise in the prevalence of chronic diseases is anticipated to drive the market during the forecast period.

Some of the prominent players operating in wearable medical devices market are Xiaomi Technology Co., Ltd, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Fitbit, Inc., Garmin Corporation, Apple Inc., HUAWEI Technologies Co., Polar Electro, Omron Corporation, Activinsights Ltd., and VitalConnect.

The absence of a proper regulatory policy in matter of wearable medical devices is expected to pose a threat to the market. The regulatory requirements for medical devices are well established worldwide, but new wearables are not required to play by the same rules. Wearables are designed to capture personal data and transmit it for analysis or sharing, but little has been established with respect to responsibility for when that information lands in the wrong hands. There has been rapid transformation in the technology during the recent years, leading to a greater need for the formation of regulatory guidelines ensuring proper use of the devices. Concerns regarding issues such as, privacy, security, data ownership, and consent are expected to offer obstacle to the adoption rate of wearable devices, specifically at workplaces during the forecast period.

The elderly population is defined as group of people aged 65 and over. Population ageing is poised to become one of the most significant social transformations of the twenty-first century. The number of geriatric population has been increasing rapidly across the globe. According to the data published by the United Nations, in 2017, there were an estimated 962 million people aged 60 or over in the world, which comprised of 13 per cent of the global population. The geriatric population is estimated to grow at a rate of 3% every year.

The geriatric population in the North America in 2015 were approximate to 15% and is estimated to grow 22% by 2050, the elderly population in 2015 were approximate to the 17% and is expected to reach 27% by 2050, and similarly the data was given for the Asia Pacific which revealed that the geriatric population was near about 8% and is expected to double with 9% by 2050.

While the performance and functionality of the sensors are key factors for health and fitness applications, they are of critical importance for wearables classified as medical devices. These products risk a recall by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and/or Health Canada if they provide inaccurate readings. Some wearables currently on the market have produced noticeably incorrect data, leading consumers to question the utility of the devices. One product that has generated this type of user complaint is the Nike+ FuelBand, which “undercounts or over counts certain types of activity.

In September, 2018, Portland-based Provata Health recalled around 30,000 fitness trackers following reports of burns due to overheating issues. These devices were distributed for free as a part of promotional activity during August 2017 to July 2018. The recall was made after 13 reports were of overheating while charging registered. In three cases, individuals also suffered burn on their wrists due to the use of the product. These constant product recalls due to improper functioning of the devices may prove to be a major restraining factor for the wearable devices market.