A recent study showed that smart watches produced by brands such as Apple, Google, and Samsung, equipped with an electrocardiogram sensor, are a better way to detect serious heart rhythm disorders compared to traditional medical examinations.
The study, conducted by the University Medical Center Amsterdam, focused on atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disorder in the world, which is often irregular and does not cause obvious symptoms for many.
Cardiologist Michelle Winter and doctoral student Nicole Van Steyn led research into whether wearable devices, such as smart watches, help detect these disorders earlier, and more accurately, than current methods.
In atrial fibrillation, the heart’s atria beat irregularly, which can lead to blood clots forming in the heart. The researchers explained that if these clots travel to the brain, they may cause a stroke.
Because atrial fibrillation often occurs intermittently, or patients may have no symptoms, it often goes undiagnosed during routine doctor visits.
How was the study conducted?
The research team conducted a study that included 437 patients over the age of 65 at risk of stroke, half of whom wore smart watches for at least 12 hours a day over six months, while the other half received usual medical care without digital monitoring.
Two functions of the smart watch, photoplethysmography (PPG) and electrocardiogram (ECG), were used to record the electrical activity of the heart.
While pulse readings may only indicate the presence of abnormalities, an EKG is necessary to confirm the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation.
These features have been standard in smartwatches by many major manufacturers for years.
Atrial fibrillation was detected in the group of smartwatch users four times more often than in the control group, and specifically 21 smartwatch users were diagnosed and treated, compared to only 5 users in the group that did not use watches.
However, smart watch technology was not without errors, as Van Steyn indicated to the German News Agency (DPA) that there were false alarms, as only half of the 72 patients monitored by the watch were diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.
With increasing pressure on the health system, wearable devices allow monitoring of large populations without the need for frequent visits to hospitals, Winter explained.
Researchers believe hospitals would see a reduction in stroke cases caused by atrial fibrillation if patients could be screened more widely in this way, allowing them to be treated at very early stages of the disease. (Sky News Arabia)
