Apple Watch Study Wants To Help Detect Potential Early Heart Failure

The Apple Watch’s heart rate monitor might have seemed like a novel feature at launch, but over the years, we’ve come across too many stories of how the feature has saved many lives by alerting the wearer to potential heart issues, allowing them to get themselves checked out before it was too late.

Now it looks like Apple wants to potentially expand on the feature and in an announcement by the University Health Network, there will be a new study led by Canadian cardiologist Dr. Heather Ross of the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research in which it will try to determine if the Apple Watch has the ability to detect early heart failures.

According to Ross, “We think that biometric data derived from Apple Watch may provide comparable, precise, and accurate measurements of fitness, prognostic markers and early warning signals, compared to traditional diagnostics.” Early detection is important when it comes to dealing with health conditions because in some cases, detecting a problem early increases the chance of survival and a successful treatment.

This study will last for three months and includes a two-year follow up. Participants will be given an Apple Watch Series 6 (which includes a blood oxygen monitor) and an iPhone. Dr. Sumbul Desai, Apple’s vice president of Health adds, “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with UHN and Dr. Heather Ross to better understand how the powerful sensors in Apple Watch can potentially help patients better manage heart failure, from the comfort of their own home.”

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