With the explosion of smartphones and other mobile devices, it seems like there is a gadget or app for just about everything, including your health.

Digital devices that you can wear—also called “wearables” or “wearable devices”—are helping people track their health and take steps to improve it. But you should know that wearable technology can’t replace your health care team. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates medical devices for safety and effectiveness. Although some mobile medical apps and accessories are approved by the FDA as medical devices, most are not. In the future, this technology may help us improve care and outcomes for people with heart disease, but more research is needed. To help identify the best ways to use the technology, wearables are being tested in clinical trials.

Learn more about these devices and what they can do today.