The Apple Watch Series 4 puts a one-lead ECG on your wrist.īut when the US Preventive Services Task Force weighed the potential benefits (early detection) against the potential harms (misdiagnosis, additional testing, invasive procedures and overtreatment), it found that the available evidence was too inadequate to support a conclusion one way or the other.Īnd because most of the AFib and stroke prevention studies have focused on the older populations who are most at risk, even less is known about the value of screening for AFib in healthy individuals under age 65. hospital EKG: Not the results I was expecting Stories about the Apple Watch's ECG feature saving lives certainly haven't hurt either.īut how helpful are these AFib features really? And are they right for you or a loved one? If you're considering buying a Series 4 - or holding out for a Series 5 - just for the ECG app, here are a few things cardiologists want you to know. Heart disease and stroke, despite being preventable, remain the leading cause of death for both men and women in the US, so it makes sense that people would be eager to adopt any sort of preventative heart-related technology.
There's an ECG app exclusive to the Series 4 that can indicate whether your heart rhythm shows signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib) - the most common type of irregular heartbeat and a major risk factor for stroke - and the irregular heart rhythm notification (for all Apple Watches) which will alert you of irregular heart rhythms suggestive of AFib. Last year, to much fanfare, Apple announced two new additions to the Apple Watch.