CUPERTINO (dpa-AFX) - New peer-reviewed research showed that the Apple Watch may be much more effective at detecting atrial fibrillation (AFib) than traditional methods, as the smartwatch monitoring found many more cases of AFib, including in people who had no symptoms and didn't know anything was wrong.
'Wearables that track both your pulse and heart's electrical activity by combining PPG and ECG functions have been around for a while now. However, how well this technology works for the screening of patients at elevated risk for atrial fibrillation had not yet been investigated in a real-world setting,' said Nicole van Steijn, PhD candidate at Amsterdam UMC.
Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the study included 437 people over the age of 65 who were at higher risk of stroke. 219 participants were given an Apple Watch, while 218 received standard medical care. The study lasted six months, and those using the smartwatch wore it for about 12 hours a day.
The findings were also presented at the European Society of Cardiology's annual meeting, which found that 21 people in the Apple Watch group were diagnosed with AFib, with 57 percent showing no symptoms. Meanwhile, 5 people in the standard-care group were diagnosed, and they all had symptoms.
'Using smartwatches with PPG and ECG functions aids doctors in diagnosing individuals unaware of their arrhythmia, thereby expediting the diagnostic process. Our findings suggest a potential reduction in the risk of stroke, benefiting both patients and the health care system by reducing costs. This reduction would offset the initial cost of the device,' concluded Michiel Winter, cardiologist at Amsterdam UMC.
According to lead researcher Winter, these results show that the Apple Watch can detect AFib in people who would not normally seek medical help because they feel fine. Since AFib can come and go without symptoms, short-term tests often miss it. However, continuous monitoring with a smartwatch could significantly help catch these hidden cases.
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