According to STAT, this algorithm was presented at the Heart Rhythm Society conference in San Francisco. The study found that the algorithm accurately identified weak heart pumps in a small number of patients. This test is part of a decentralized study that includes 125,000 Apple Watch EKG tests from participants in the US and 11 countries. The cardiologists of the clinic believe that the new results “will prove the timely expediency of integrating this ability in [Apple Watch]. » This proves 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 this. This should be taken as a first step, but by no means is it ready for the first moment. Collin Stultz, cardiologist at Mass General Brigham in Boston The study also used data from more than 2,400 people who recently had an ECG. An application from the Mayo Clinic analyzes ECG scans using the algorithm. Of the 16 patients reported to have had weak heart pumps, 13 were correct.
Helps in the early detection of heart problems
Although it is best to use the algorithm in patients who are more likely to have heart problems, it is not clear who will actually benefit. However, the clinic is working to improve this. He is currently working on a study involving one million people around the world to test various heart function algorithms. Its goal is to detect heart disease in patients earlier so they can be treated before things get worse. According to the STAT article, a weak heart pump is treatable and affects about 3% of people worldwide. Someone with a weak heart pump is at greater risk for arrhythmias and heart disease. 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. You may not go to your doctor very often, but a watch you buy from the store could tell you that there is an important message that needs to be checked, so the consequences are huge. Paul Friedman, President of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Mayo Clinic and lead author of the study More research is being done to make sure the algorithm can work with different people. It also aims to help high-risk patients seek better health outcomes early on.
9to5Mac’s Take
As more and more people buy Apple Watches for health reasons, it seems like time is running out. It will take some time to improve this Apple Watch algorithm, but it’s nice to see progress. Although these devices have saved lives in the past, they are likely to save even more in the future. FTC: We use affiliate links that automatically generate revenue. More. Take a look at 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:
