Apple masses the biggest heart study ever

“When Apple released the Apple Watch Series 3 late last year, the company telegraphed its growing interest in health with the groundbreaking abilities of the device’s heart-rate monitor and optical sensor,” Danny Vena writes for The Motley Fool. “The device’s ability to take heart measurements during workouts, in recovery, and at rest was simple enough. The icing on the cake is its ability to detect a spike in heart rate that typically accompanies atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib.”
“Apple took this a step further, partnering with Stanford University to launch the Apple Heart Study, an investigation to determine how accurately the Apple Watch could detect these irregular heartbeats, which can be a warning sign of an oncoming stroke,” Vena writes. “No one could have foreseen the staggering response.”
“A recent issue of the American Heart Journal illustrates the power of Apple’s brand and the simplicity of its approach. Based on the Journal‘s reporting, the Apple Heart Study enrolled a massive 419,093 participants, making it the largest investigation of its kind ever fielded,” Vena writes. “The sheer mass of the study was important to researchers, as bigger is generally better when it comes to investigations of this type — the larger the sample size, the narrower the margin of error for the study. Stanford Medicine researchers say that the study is in the final stages of data collection. Results should be available early next year.”
Touching the Apple Watch Series 4 Digital Crown completes the circuit and electrical signals across the heart are measured.
 
Apple Watch Series 1 or later with watchOS 5.1.2 sends a notification if an irregular heart rhythm such as AFib, is identified.
 
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: This is just the beginning for Apple Watch!
SEE ALSO:
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Over 400,000 Apple Watch users participated in the Apple Heart Study with Stanford – November 2, 2018
New study shows Apple Watch is accurate at detecting irregular heartbeats – March 21, 2018
Apple Heart Study launches to identify irregular heart rhythms – November 30, 2017
AliveCor’s Kardiaband EKG reader becomes first Apple Watch accessory to win FDA approval as a medical device – November 30, 2017
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Apple Watch the most accurate heart rate monitor in new fitness tracker study – May 24, 2017
Apple Watch helps doctors detect the leading cause of heart failure with 97% accuracy – May 12, 2017
Apple patents advanced heart rate monitor for Apple Watch – October 6, 2016
Apple Watch heart rate data vs. Mio dedicated heart rate monitor – May 7, 2015