Stress is part of almost everyone’s daily lives. Studies show that it not only affects a person’s mental health, it also takes a physical toll on the body, releasing inflammatory hormones that can increase cardiovascular and cancer risk, among other issues. It has economic consequences as well.
Stress results in “accidents, absenteeism, employee turnover, diminished productivity, and direct medical, legal, and insurance costs” that cost the U.S. $300 billion every year, according to a recent report from the American Psychological Association.
Not surprisingly, fitness tracker wearable devices meant to help measure stress proxies like heart rate have created a global market valued at $45 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $192 billion by 2030, according to Straits Research. Yet most of the multi-billion dollar brands in the category from Apple, Fitbit, Samsung, Oura and others use light to look at the blood flow under the skin that provide a limited measurement of heart health and no measurement of other health indicators like brain activity.