Apple Watch has a problem with the reliability of atrial fibrillation detection

In addition to Apple teaming up with Johnson & Johnson for a study aimed at reducing the risk of stroke, the company also admitted to the FDA, or Food and Drug Administration, that the Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Detection feature on the Apple Watch under certain conditions it does not work as it should.

The company says the Apple Watch cannot identify and warn of fibrillationí atrial fibrillation if the heart rate exceeds 120 beats per minute. In this case, the watch may fail ine 30 to 60 % of cases, which is definitely not negligible amount. According to the Mayo Clinic, while the heart rate in AFib ranges between 100 and 175 beats per minute, in a 2015 study, the average heart rate of patients was around 109 beats.

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The low reliability of the Apple Watch was also confirmed by research on a group of patients who underwent heart surgery. He proved the watchy warn of fibrillation only ine 34 out of 90 cases, so the accuracy was only 41%. In another study, watches failed 1/3 of the time. Finally even Apple itself warns that the watch is not constantly alert and may not alert you to fibrillation. But the way the feature is presented can give a false impression her reliability.

But is Apple at risk of punishment? There may be groups that accuse the company of false marketing. But from the FDA Apparently nothing is in danger for Apple. Why? Because Apple has not applied for a certificate for this feature. If he did, it would cost him in addition to the request a lot money and many months of testing that could not be done in secret, because Apple products can hardly be kept secret.

Discussion of the article

[Ivo]

Someone claimed that the Apple Watch can replace a 12-lead ECG? No . Quote: "Apple has not applied for a certificate for this feature". So what is the article about??

[Petr]

About the fact that you shouldn't rely on your watch, as I think, as a cardiologist, a lot of people do these days, who mistakenly think they are 100% healthy because they measure their heart rate on their watch...