Apple has now officially launched its previously announced Apple Heart Study with the release of the Heart Study app. In partnership with Stanford University, the Apple Heart Study aims to see if the Apple Watch can accurately identify arrhythmias with its heart rate tracking technology and notify users of possible atrial fibrillation.
Unlike the gold standard electrocardiogram (ECG), which measures the electrical activity in your heart, Apple and most other consumer wearable companies use LED lights flashing hundreds of times per second and light-sensitive photodiodes to detect the amount of blood flowing through the wrist as an indicator of the heart’s activity. This method, while simpler to use, has been typically viewed as less accurate than ECG sensors, so the ability to detect potentially fatal arrhythmias would be a significant step for the overall health wearables market.
To note, there are now products on the market that provide accurate, FDA approved atrial fibrillation detection and 1-lead ECG recording.
Users who are 22 years or older and own an Apple Watch series 1 or newer can download the app, which will periodically collect heart rate and rhythm samples throughout the day, depending on how active the user is. If an irregular heart rhythm is identified, participants will be alerted and will be offered a free phone or FaceTime consultation with a study doctor and also receive an ECG patch to wear for additional monitoring.
Click here to download the app and join the Apple Heart Study…
Press release from Apple: Apple Heart Study launches to identify irregular heart rhythms…
