A new peer-reviewed study suggests that the Apple Watch may play a much bigger role in detecting atrial fibrillation. In a real-world study, researchers found that smartwatch-based surveillance caught far more cases than traditional approaches. This includes people who are completely unaware that anything is wrong.
Apple Watch added an ECG app and irregular heart rhythm notifications to Apple Watch Series 4 in 2018. Since then, we’ve heard countless stories of Apple wearables saving lives.
This new study from Amsterdam UMC shows how effective the Apple Watch is at detecting atrial fibrillation.
The six-month study involved 437 people, all of whom were over the age of 65 and at high risk of stroke. 219 people were given an Apple Watch to wear for about 12 hours a day, and 218 received standard care.
After 6 months:
- 21 people in the Apple Watch group were diagnosed
- Of these, 57% had no symptoms.
- 5 people in the standard treatment group were diagnosed
- All experienced symptoms.
This highlights how the Apple Watch can catch atrial fibrillation in people who didn’t go looking for it just because they felt good. AFib is often intermittent and asymptomatic, so it can be missed during short-term monitoring. That’s why continuous monitoring of your Apple Watch is important.
Michel Winter, a cardiologist at UMC Amsterdam, says:
“Using smart watches with PPG and ECG capabilities can help physicians diagnose individuals who are unaware of their arrhythmia, thereby speeding up the diagnostic process. Our findings suggest a potential reduction in the risk of stroke, benefiting both patients and healthcare systems by reducing costs. This reduction offsets the initial cost of the device.”
The full study can be read on the JACC Journals website.
