Smartwatches aid arrhythmia detection and management in clinical practice

9 articles · Updated · Medscape · Apr 29

Dr. Walid Amara highlights that in the Apple Heart study, 400,000 smartwatch users yielded 2,000 atrial fibrillation notifications, with a positive predictive value above 80%.
Smartwatches enable single-lead ECG recordings, helping diagnose various arrhythmias, especially in patients with palpitations or post-ablation for atrial fibrillation, and can prompt timely clinical interventions.
Despite their cost, smartwatches encourage patient engagement in health monitoring and are increasingly recommended by cardiologists, though evidence on treating asymptomatic atrial fibrillation remains under evaluation.

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