Studies show that the risk of stroke can be reported earlier using Apple Watch technology

For millions at risk of stroke, a simple tap of the wrist could one day save their lives. New studies from University Medical Center Amsterdam and St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London It showed that wearable devices, e.g Apple watchcan improve detection of atrial fibrillation compared to standard care. Atrial fibrillation, often referred to as A-fib, is an arrhythmia, which means an irregular or abnormal heartbeat. This condition can cause blood clots and is one of the leading causes of stroke.

The Amsterdam study included 437 patients aged 65 or older with a high risk of stroke, and asked 219 of them to wear an Apple Watch to track their heart rate for 12 hours a day for 6 months. The remaining 218 patients did not wear a watch and relied on standard care.

The trial revealed four times more irregular heartbeats in patients who wore an Apple Watch than in those who did not. Select versions of Apple Watch use photoplethysmography, an LED light sensor, to detect heart rate, and have a built-in single-lead ECG sensor to read heart rate.

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Wearable devices that track heart rate and other health markers are neither new nor unprecedented Studies have shown promising results in detecting atrial fibrillation. Although Wearable devices are known to be trackable With this type of data, no previous research has examined how well the potential health risks of atrial fibrillation are detected.

“We saw that after six months we diagnosed and treated 21 patients in the group wearing the smart watch, 57% of whom had no symptoms,” Michel Winter, a cardiologist at the Amsterdam Medical University, said in a statement. “This was versus only five diagnoses in the group that received standard care, all of whom experienced symptoms.”

The second clinical study, conducted by St Bartholomew’s Hospital, showed that Apple Watch could also be useful in detecting symptoms of atrial fibrillation early and monitoring patients after standard treatment, such as catheter ablation. The hospital found that patients can record clinical-grade electrocardiograms (ECG) on their Apple Watches at home when symptoms appear. Similar to the first study, the hospital found that patients using Apple Watch detected atrial fibrillation earlier and more frequently than those receiving usual care. Detecting symptoms early also reduces anxiety and the likelihood of the patient needing to be hospitalized.

The results of these studies show that wearable devices such as the Apple Watch can be used for long-term heart screening to detect heart health abnormalities and improve patient care for those undergoing treatment. It can help diagnose those who don’t know they have the condition.

“Using smartwatches with PPG and ECG functions helps doctors diagnose individuals who are unaware of their arrhythmia, thus speeding up the diagnosis process,” Winter said.