US EditionSmartwatches improve the detection of atrial fibrillation
- Published January 22, 2026 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers from Amsterdam UMC reported smartwatch-based monitoring caught far more cases than traditional approaches.
- Atrial fibrillation is often intermittent and linked to stroke, so short-term monitoring can miss cases, and traditional ECG devices typically monitor for two weeks and can be uncomfortable, Michiel Winter said.
- In a six-month trial of 437 older adults, 219 people wore Apple Watches about 12 hours per day, leading to 21 diagnoses versus five in the standard-care group.
- The study's authors argue earlier detection could reduce stroke risk and healthcare costs, with wearable PPG and ECG functions helping doctors diagnose unaware patients, potentially offsetting device expenses.
- Continuous smartwatch monitoring could expand the device's role in spotting AF, as Apple Watch combines PPG and ECG functions and added an ECG app with Series 4 in 2018.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Cardiac problems such as atrial fibrillation are often not noticed in routine examinations. Medical monitoring with smartwatches could solve the problem. For this, the devices need an important function.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmias. However, many sufferers have no symptoms, which makes diagnosis difficult. A new study has now found out how atrial fibrillation can be detected faster.
Invisible danger: Many affected patients do not feel their atrial fibrillation. Smartwatches can sound an alarm and thus potentially save lives, a study from Amsterdam shows.
Apple Watch makes it much easier to detect arrhythmia, study reveals
The Apple Watch continues to see praise for its health-related applications, with a new study outlining its usefulness in identifying atrial fibrillation in asymptomatic patients.A new scientific study revealed just how useful the Apple Watch can be for detecting atrial fibrillation.Apple's focus on health is evident across the company's product line. Alongside a dedicated Apple Health app, the iPhone maker continues to upgrade its various platf…
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