A recent study revealed that smartwatches can help medical professionals in accurate diagnosis of hidden, but dangerous, arrhythmias,
In a recent research, elderly individuals wearing an Apple watch with cardiac monitoring were found to be four times more likely to be diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation or AFib is a common heart rhythm disorder that can lead to stroke when irregular beating causes thrombus that may lead to severe complications and can also turn into a fatal problem.
For the study, researchers followed 437 patients over age 65 who were at an increased risk for stroke.
Nearly half of the individuals wore an Apple watch with both pulse and ECG monitoring for 12 hours a day.
Other participants received standard care that includes a wearable device, which is quite irritating for some patients and is only capable of monitoring for nearly two weeks.
Over 6 months of follow-up, researchers diagnosed and treated 21 new AFib patients in the smartwatch group, more than half of whom had no symptoms.
On the contrary, only five cases were detected with standard care, and all of them reported symptoms.
The lead investigator stated, "Using smartwatches with PPG and ECG functions aids doctors in diagnosing individuals unaware of their arrhythmia, thereby expediting the diagnostic process.”
And potentially reducing stroke risk. AFib causes 15-25% of all ischemic strokes.
