Experts are unsure whether widespread screening for AFib is beneficial However, the Apple Watch has, on multiple occasions, alerted people both young and old about heart issues they didn't know existed. This is all to say that if you're young, healthy and don't already have any diagnosed health problems, you might not experience significant benefits from the ECG app, or the watch's other heart rate features.
In the latter two groups, AFib episodes are often brief, cause no symptoms and may not require treatment. In fact, only approximately 2% of people younger than age 65 have AFib and it's estimated that only 1% of the population may have undiagnosed AFib. And EMarketer predicted that in 2019 consumers aged 25 to 34 will remain the largest group to purchase wearables.Ĭontrast that with the fact that the CDC estimates AFib affects somewhere between 2.7 million and 6.1 million Americans, but the majority of those people are over the age of 65. Sales research from the NPD Group shows that adults aged 18 to 34 are buying smartwatches more than any other age demographic. hospital EKG: Not the results I was expecting AFib is a serious problem, but probably not among Apple Watch wearers
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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. To take an ECG while wearing an Apple Watch Series 4, all you have to do is touch a finger on your opposite hand to the Digital Crown.