Smartwatches Can Detect Atrial Fibrillation; How Accurate Are the Results These Devices Can Produce Compare to ECGs?

A recently published study found that smartwatches can certainly increase the detection of atrial fibrillation or AFib, although researchers said the limited life of the battery and lack of immediate feedback might reduce the app's efficacy.

As specified in a Healthline report, a study conducted this year reported that the diagnosis of AFib in Apple Watch, in particular, was precise when testing people with similar clinical profiles. This new study analyzed the accuracy when testing people with irregular or abnormal ECGs.

According to Dr. Marc Strick, lead author of the study and a cardiologist at Bordeaux University in France, specializing in cardiac implanted electronic devices, with an expected 50 million Apple Watches sold this year alone and since the automatic detection of AFib is carried out every time a consumer is registering an ECG, this technology is already commonly in use.

The cardiologist also noted that more and more healthcare professionals are beginning to embrace and use this technology.

Still, its application within clinical practice stays limited because of reimbursement problems, lack of issues, and algorithm limitations.

Smartwatch and ECG Readings

The study published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology involved over 730 hospitalized participants who underwent a 12-lead ECG succeeded by a 30-second Apple Watch ECG recording.

The recordings' classifications include no sins of AFib, Inconclusive reading, and AFib itself. Then, the smartphone recordings were blindly viewed by an electrophysiologist who classified them as diagnosis unclear, AFib, and absence of AFib.

A second electrophysiologist interpreted 100 selected ECG recordings to identify the agreement between the two readings.

The Apple Watch failed to produce an automatic diagnosis in one out of five incidents. The study investigators reported that the false negative was more likely in individuals with premature atrial and ventricular contractions, sinus node dysfunction, and either second or third-degree atrioventricular block.

How Accurate are Smartwatches in Monitoring AFib?

According to Dr. Adrian Baranchuk, FACC, a medicine professor at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, and the co-author of an editorial that accompanied the study, the preciseness of monitoring using smartwatches does not match other clinical methods.

He added surface 12-lead ECGs are still the "gold standard of care," with much higher accuracy of roughly 98 to 99 percent.

The study investigators also reported that the smartphone app correctly identified 78 percent of people with an AFib incident and 81 percent of those who did not have the condition.

The electrophysiologists were able to identify 97 percent of people who have AFib and 89 percent of those who do not.

Smartwatch App Efficacy

A similar Health Europa report said that the study authors found that the smartwatch app was likelier to produce a false positive result in individuals who have premature ventricular contractions.

It failed to identify atrial tachycardia, a heart rate of over 100 beats per minute, and atrial flutter when the upper chamber is beating too fast.

Pediatric cardiologist and associate professor Dr. Adam Skolnick, from the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Health, has a role these can play in healthcare.

However, he explained, smartphones have a long way to go before they get considered a "stand-alone tool" for monitoring heart conditions like AFib.

Related information about smartwatches being able to diagnose AFib on Denver7's YouTube video below:

Check out more news and information on Wearables in Science Times.