An independent wearable health monitoring system, configured for use by a living being on a daily basis. The system includes a knitted garment worn by the living being adjacently to preconfigured body locations, a garment-processing device having processor, and a multiplicity of sensors adapted to measure health parameters, wherein at least some sensors are integrally knitted with the knitted garment, and wherein the knitted textile sensors include electrodes adapted to provide ECG data. The system further includes an interface adapted to operatively connect at least one external medical device to the garment-processing device. Preferably, the health monitoring system further includes two conductive, integrally knitted pads operatively disposed tightly adjacently to the skin of the monitored living being, adapted to facilitate placing of a respective defibrillator paddles thereon and applying defibrillator shocks. Preferably, the garment-processing device controls the activation and deactivation of the defibrillator shocks.