Abstract

Smart wearables provide opportunity to monitor health in daily life, and are emerging as potential tools for detecting cardiovascular disease. Wearables such as fitness bands and smartwatches routinely monitor the photoplethysmogram signal, an optical measure of the arterial pulse wave which is strongly influenced by the heart and blood vessels. In this survey we summarise the fundamentals of wearable photoplethysmography and its analysis, identify its potential clinical applications, and outline pressing directions for future research in order to realise its full potential for tackling cardiovascular disease.