The study, presented at the annual Heart Rhythm Society conference in San Francisco on Sunday, May 1, found that the algorithm correctly diagnosed weak heart pumps in a small number of people from the study. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have updated a standard 12-lead ECG algorithm to interpret the ECG data of an Apple Watch lead. “This shows that you can design studies to explore the usefulness of single-lead (EKG) from devices like the Apple Watch for clinical problems, and researchers should be commended for that.” “This should be taken as a first step, but it is by no means ready for the first time,” said Collin Stultz, a cardiologist at Mass General Brigham in Boston. The clinic is currently working to polish the algorithm by working on a study of one million people who will try out various cardiac algorithms. Its purpose is to detect heart problems in people in the early stages and to prevent the worsening of this problem. “If you are a person with high blood pressure and diabetes and you are over 60, you may have a weak heart pump and not know it,” said Paul Friedman, who led the study. “You may not go to your doctor very often, but a watch you buy at the store could tell you that there is an important message that needs to be checked.” Source: StatNews
