Can a fitness device track your breakup?

The realization that a Fitbit activity tracker might be measuring more than just heartbeat exploded across the Internet recently after a 28-year-old Israeli student, Koby Soto, got an unexpected breakup call from his significant other, reported CNN. While struggling to sleep that night, he turned on his Fitbit app to take his mind off his heartache.

He noticed that when the breakup happened at 12:30 p.m., the graph showed his heartbeat jump from 72 to 88 beats per minute. It stayed high throughout the day, finally peaking at 118.

“It’s always extremely important to know your heart health and monitor your numbers,” says Dr. Irman Ali, a cardiologist with Advocate Heart Institute at Trinity Hospital in Chicago. “When you know your heart rate and heart numbers, it can help not only you but your family if you educate them on the issue.”

Fitness devices like the Fitbit can track heart rate through a sensor on the wristband. Users can also measure calories, steps and other heart and health information.

A recent USA Today story highlights how a Fitbit reading led to a couple learning they were pregnant. According to the story, the woman’s heart rate was elevated during the course of several days. At first, the couple thought there might be something wrong with the device until someone asked if the woman was pregnant. The ensuing pregnancy test proved she was, indeed, an expecting mother.

While some people are still skeptical about how accurate Fitbits are, Consumer Reports recently published a review that claims the device is very accurate. Either way, doctors stress the importance of being as knowledgeable as possible.

“I advise my patients to be very well-versed on their conditions,” says Dr. Ali. “The one thing I learned with time is the importance of taking an educational approach with my patients.”