Numerous accounts attribute the Apple Watch's ability to save lives in emergency scenarios. Per a recent Mayo Clinic study, Apple Watches can now aid in detecting cardiac dysfunctions and potentially fatal heart conditions.
According to a survey, heart failure affects at least 26 million users globally.
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Through their investigation, Mayo Clinic researchers looked into the possibility of using the Apple Watch ECG to diagnose left ventricular dysfunction. The absence of symptoms makes heart dysfunction frequently misdiagnosed.
The study includes 2,454 people from 11 nations and 46 US states. Between August 2021 and February 2022, the patients' 1,25,610 ECGs were sent via Apple Watch. The researchers' in-house AI technology was then used to process the ECG data.
Because the Series 4, 5, 6, and 7 watches of the Apple Watch contain a sensor capable of detecting the electrical impulses indicative of the heartbeat and its rhythm, those watches were chosen for the study.
This information can be used to determine whether atrial fibrillation is present (irregular heart rhythm).
According to the study:
"The findings suggest the implementation of an AI algorithm based on ECGs can enable the early detection of poor EF (ejection fraction) in patients in the context of normal primary care."
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Additionally, the study suggests that smartwatches may be able to assist with early-stage remote digital health investigations.
However, the research study has not released the AI algorithms' source code. This is so that the FDA can review the code, which is exclusive intellectual property (patent pending), according to the statement.
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Consequences for Patient Care
Malfunction of the Left Ventricle
A type of heart failure called malfunction of the left ventricle occurs when the left ventricle, one of the heart's chambers, weakens and is unable to pump blood throughout the body efficiently.
It could be brought on by persistent or poorly managed high blood pressure or by coronary artery blockage-related heart muscle injury.
Shortness of breath and weariness are a few signs and symptoms of heart failure, along with the following:
- Coughing and swollen legs and abdomen
- Gaining weight
- Nausea
- Chest ache
- Rapid heart rate
This type of heart failure can also show no symptoms at all.
The researchers discovered that the Apple Watch is just as effective as a 12-lead ECG that your doctor might perform in their office, according to Dr. Annabelle Santos Volgman, Professor of Medicine and Senior Attending Physician at Rush Medical College and Rush University Medical Center.
According to Volgman, she has been taking care of her patients using the Apple Watch for several years.
"We are able to record the patient's rhythm when they experience palpitations as a symptom. When we don't notice any arrhythmias, I can tell them that it's not a concerning issue," she says.
When issues do arise, she claims that she might then go to the next stage of assessing their risk and determining what to do about their symptoms.
The Apple Watch can measure heart rate, oxygen saturation, step counts, frequency of standing, calories burned, and sleep patterns in addition to completing a single-lead ECG, all of which can provide helpful data for patient management.
Dr. Paul Friedman, the study's lead author, says it is "absolutely astounding that AI transforms a consumer watch ECG data into a detector of this illness" and that we may now be able to add the diagnosis of a weak heart to the list.
With an app and their Apple Watch, people may be able to screen for and monitor heart failure in the comfort of their own homes in the future.
This holds the potential for broader access to care as well as a significant decrease in the cost of some diagnostic testing and research studies.
However, this study is still in its early phases and must be evaluated and validated before it is made accessible to patients.
