A new scoping review covered by GI & Hepatology News highlights the growing potential of wearable technologies to transform how inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is monitored and managed.
Across 37 studies, researchers found that consumer wearables—such as smartwatches and fitness trackers—consistently captured meaningful changes in physical activity, sleep quality, heart rate, and heart rate variability that correlated with disease activity in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. In several longitudinal studies, physiologic changes appeared weeks before clinical flares, suggesting a role for earlier, more proactive intervention.
Beyond consumer devices, early-stage biosensor patches showed promising correlations between sweat-based inflammatory markers (including CRP and calprotectin) and serum levels, pointing toward a future of noninvasive, real-time inflammatory monitoring. Wearables were also explored for psychological support, with virtual reality tools reducing anxiety and pain during infusions in both adult and pediatric patients.