Apple Watch is capable of detecting cardiac dysfunctions, suggest medical researchers | Digit

Technology enthusiasts must have read reports about Apple Watch saving users’ life by informing them about the symptoms of diseases just in time. Since the smartwatch has advanced sensors that can detect ECG, blood oxygen levels and sudden movements that might indicate a fall or a crash, it has proved helpful in emergencies. Now, a study claims that the Apple Watch can also detect fatal heart conditions and other cardiac dysfunctions. 

Apple Watch can detect early signs of cardiac dysfunction

Due to a lack of symptoms, cardiac dysfunction is often undiagnosed. However, medical researchers at the Mayo Clinic have discovered that the Apple Watch’s ECG functionality can detect left ventricular dysfunction passively and inform users in time. The study included more than 2,400 patients from the United States and other countries. 

Over 1,25,000 ECGs were recorded and sent by these patients using their Apple Watch for six months, from August 2021 to February 2022. Then, these results were processed through an AI algorithm developed by researchers at the Mayo Clinic. 

The researchers concluded that ECGs collected via consumer watches such as the Apple Watch in non-clinical environments can identify patients with cardiac dysfunctions. The study mentions that the “potential of smartwatches to assist with conducting remote digital health studies is just in the beginning.” 

Given that the researchers concluded on a positive note and the technology can be a major breakthrough in detecting cardiac disorders at early stages, it is currently being reviewed by the FDA. 

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