Massive Study Confirms The Apple Watch Is Quite Adept At Detecting Irregular Heart Rates

In the past, we have heard countless stories about how the Apple Watch’s heart rate detection feature, and more recently its ECG feature, have saved many lives. Is it all fluke? Could it merely be coincidental that all these reported cases are from people who so happen to wear an Apple Watch instead of a competing wearable?

Turns out that it might not be the case, and that the Apple Watch is actually quite adept at detecting irregular heart rates. This is according to a recently-concluded study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, where 400,000 participants took part in the study where it was found that the Apple Watch was pretty accurate when it came to detecting atrial fibrillation in patients who experienced it.

Out of the 419,297 participants, during the course of the study, 2,161 participants were notified that they might be experiencing Afib by their Apple Watch. These participants went on to get a second opinion, where 84% were found to have symptoms concordant with Afib, while 34% actually had the condition itself.

While the Apple Watch is by no means a diagnosis tool, it might not necessarily be a bad idea to see your doctor for a follow-up should you ever get notified of a heart issue. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Gadgets, Medical
Tags: Apple Watch, Health, Smartwatch, study, Wearable Tech