Apple Watch’s ECG can help diagnose heart problem: Research

Researchers at the American academic medical centre – Mayo Clinic have evaluated the capability of the Apple Watch ECG to help diagnose a weak heart pump. The study suggests that the device can help identify left ventricular dysfunction- a potentially life-threatening heart condition.

Apple Watch Series 4, Series 5, Series 6, Series 7, Series 8 or Ultra has the ECG app.(Representational Image)

Because of the absence of symptoms and complex detection techniques, cardiac dysfunction often goes undiagnosed, but early detection prevents morbidity and mortality. “Detection has traditionally required expensive, complex imaging studies such as electrocardiograms (ECGs) or computerized tomography scans,” the research states.

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However, with the development of AI models, they now have the potential to diagnose cardiac disease early via home monitoring. Research affirms, “This may identify people who can benefit from established therapies, and those who do not require medical care, to better utilize overburdened healthcare resources.”

The study published in Nature journal carried out experiment on 2,454 volunteers from 46 US states and 11 countries. The patients sent their 5 months ECG data taken from their Apple Watch. Then the data was processed via a proprietary AI algorithm built by the researchers.

The research concluded that an AI-ECG model can be tailored to effectively classify real-world Apple Watch data. Besides validating a specific model, researchers found that the use of a mobile-phone app is an economical, fast and reliable method of gathering data, and patients of all ages remain highly involved.

Apple Watch Series 4, Series 5, Series 6, Series 7, Series 8 or Ultra has the ECG app which can record heartbeat and rhythm using the electrical heart sensor. However, Apple warns that its ECG app cannot detect all heart-related conditions. Heart attack, blood clots or a stroke can’t be determined.

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