Apple Watch could detect cardiac dysfunction: study

San Francisco: A recent study claimed that Apple Watch's ECG capabilities could detect cardiac dysfunction. The gadget could detect the heart abnormalities like left ventricular dysfunction.

The Mayo Clinic study explains that cardiac dysfunction often goes undiagnosed due to its asymptomatic nature, meaning people with it are unaware of it.

The study subjected 2,454 patients from the US and 11 other countries. From August 2021 to February 2022, these participants sent over 1,25,000 ECGs via their Apple Watch.

The results of the study were processed through Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm developed by the researchers. By using the mean prediction within a 30-day window or the closest ECG relative to the echocardiogram that determined the EF, the AI algorithm detected patients with a low EF (ejection fraction) with an area under the curve of 0.885 (95 per cent confidence interval 0.823-0.946) and 0.881 (0.815-0.947), the study reported.

The findings showed that "consumer-watch ECGs acquired in nonclinical environments can identify patients with cardiac dysfunction". It also infers that "the potential of smartwatches to assist with conducting remote digital health studies is just in the beginning phases".

Left Ventricular dysfunction of the heart is usually followed by congestive heart failure that can lead to a multitude of cardiac disorders. It would be a major breakthrough if something like the Apple Watch could detect it passively or help diagnose it, the study report suggested.