The Apple Watch has already saved lives with its heart rate-monitoring, but it’s often unintentional. A person might feel symptoms like dizziness or shortness of breath, then check their heart rate to confirm something weird is going on. A team of researchers just proved that the watch’s heart rate sensor can actually detect an early sign of heart disease without any symptoms at all, a development that could change how people use their Apple Watches.
The Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor can accurately pick up atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rate that can lead to stroke or heart disease. Atrial fibrillation can be caused by a variety of factors, including high blood pressure, so the Apple Watch isn’t a diagnostic device. But its accurate heart rate sensor shows there is potential for the watch as a health and fitness tool beyond its basic fitness-tracking features.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
