Investigating the accuracy of Garmin PPG sensors on differing skin types based on the Fitzpatrick scale: cross-sectional comparison study
Our findings support prior research demonstrating no significant impact of skin tone on PPG-measured heart rate, with significant differences between PPG- and ECG-measured heart rate emerging during dynamic changes in activity intensity. As commercial heart rate monitoring technology and software continue to evolve, it will be vital to replicate studies investigating the impact of skin tone due to the rapidity with which widely used wearable technologies advance.
Authors
- Megan B. Irby (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9976-3360)
- Claire Murphy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6364-8646)
- Amber K Brooks (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9568-1336)
- Jason T. Fanning (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5527-1698)
- Kindia Williams N'dah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8268-4649)
- Annie Liang Icenhower
- Justin Robison (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6428-693X)
Institutions
- Wake Forest University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Frontiers in Digital Health
- Published
- 2025-03-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2025.1553565
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Non-Invasive Vital Sign Monitoring
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.70