Your Apple Watch can be the key to preventing strokes in the future.
Recent research from Amsterdam University Medical Center and St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London highlights the growing role of wearable devices like the Apple Watch in detecting atrial fibrillation (A-fib), a heart rhythm disorder that significantly raises the risk of stroke.
Unlike traditional monitoring, wearables provide continuous heart tracking, allowing early identification of irregular heartbeats even before symptoms appear.
Amsterdam Study Reveals Smartwatch Advantage
The Amsterdam trial included 437 participants aged 65 and older with elevated stroke risk. Half of the participants wore an Apple Watch for 12 hours a day over six months, while the rest received standard care. The results were striking: the smartwatch group detected heart arrhythmias four times more frequently than standard methods.
Using photoplethysmography (PPG) and built-in single-lead ECG sensors, the Apple Watch offered real-time heart monitoring.
21 participants using the smartwatch were diagnosed and treated for A-fib, 57% of whom had no symptoms, compared to only five cases in the standard care group—all symptomatic.
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London Study Supports Post-Treatment Monitoring
At St. Bartholomew's Hospital, researchers confirmed that wearable devices are also effective for post-treatment monitoring, such as after catheter ablation. Patients used the Apple Watch to record clinical-grade ECGs at home, helping doctors catch A-fib symptoms early.
According to CNET, the approach reduced hospital visits and eased patient anxiety, demonstrating wearables' value beyond initial detection.
Per Michiel Winter, a cardiologist from Amsterdam UMC, "using smartwatches with PPG and ECG functions aids doctors in diagnosing individuals unaware of their arrhythmia, thereby expediting the diagnostic process."
Nowadays, wearables are not only worn for fashion. Beyond checking time and other advanced features, its prized health features are really what matter the most.
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