When Apple released the Apple Watch in 2015 it was equipped with a build-in hearth rate sensor. This enabled the users to closely monitor their hearth rhythm during everyday activities. Originally, the Apple watch used the collected data to estimate activity and to calculate calories burned. Recently, Apple announced the they will be extending health-monitoring features of their Watch line with a focus on the heart.
First, Apple will make enhancements to their Hearth Rate App to give the user a closer look at how their hearth is behaving. Measurements like resting hearth rate and recovery hearth rate should give the user a better understanding of their fitness.
Second, Apple is introducing a notification feature. When the hearth rate sensor detects an unusually high hearth rate while the watch’s accelerometer does not detect any activity it will automatically send the user a notification. Regular occurrences can be a sign of bad fitness.
The third thing Apple is doing is focused on hearth rhythm. A regular hearth rhythm has a familiar pattern. However, it can occur that the heart is beating out of its usual rhythm. This is called an arrhythmia and this can cause major problems. The most common form of serious arrhythmia is Atrial Fibrillation, which effect 10s of millions of people and is the leading cause of a stroke. The problem with Atrial Fibrillation is that it is difficult to feel any symptoms and therefore often goes undiagnosed.
Apple is working on a feature to detect these kinds of arrhythmias and to notify the users. During Apple’s initial studies the Apple watch had been effective at surfacing these irregular rhythms. To further expand this study, it will be partnering with Stanford’s Medical School.
With adding these new features Apple wants to give their watch users a better understanding of their fitness and hearth rhythms, helping them live a healthier life and ultimately contribute to save lives.
The Apple Heart Study and new features will go live in the App Store later this year.
Sources:
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/11/apple-watch-caridac-arrhythmia-tests-stanford-american-well.html
https://www.engadget.com/2017/09/12/apple-watch-heart-rate-tracking-update/
http://med.stanford.edu/appleheartstudy.html
https://support.apple.com/en-la/HT204666
This is a little bit unrelated, but I was wondering William if you knew about Apple’s efforts to provide accessible apps and programs to those that are differently abled? I worked with the visually impaired for two years, and they always told me about wonderful, innovative programs that make functioning as a differently abled person easier for them, whether it be in their personal lives or at work. Apple has done a really good job I think strategically combining technological innovation with health/lifestyle improvements for all types of populations.
I remember Apple announcing a similar study a few years ago and I was surprised by how they could use the iPhone to actually do a research about some health issues. It is really interesting to see how they are making these studies even better and how companies start to add these features to their products. In the future, I am sure smartwatches or similar products are able to track a lot of data about our current lifestyle and what are the effects on our health. I believe this can provide a lot of data to researchers in order to learn more about our bodies, but in addition to this, can be a great motivation for people to live in a healthier way. When people see what are the consequences of their way of living, they will get more aware of what they do and eat.