In a study, Apple Watch Series 4 was almost perfect for reporting healthy rates versus irregular rates – BGR

Much has been done since this week's unveiling of the new Apple Watch, which features an abundance of health-focused features such as the detection of falls and the ability to take an electrocardiogram.

Buried in this skeptical piece of Quartz, which states that the features of the new watch are not so impressive, we also have an overview of the results of studies that seem a bit incongruous to include in a questionable piece about the watch. In order to obtain FDA clearance for the inclusion and commercialization of ECG functions of the watch, Apple and Stanford University conducted a study on just under 600 people, the results of which were submitted to the FDA for review.

according to QuartzHalf of the study participants were in good health, while the other half had atrial fibrillation – or AFib, in short, a heart condition that could lead to serious health complications. The smartphone app on which Watch 4 works has been able to identify more than 98% of patients with atrial fibrillation and more than 99% of patients with a healthy heart rate.

Cardiologists, according to the Quartz report, were able to read 90% of these total readings, although about 10% of them are unreadable. So, on one level, it looks promising for a product that Apple is trying to position as "a smart guardian for your health."

So why do some people take a skeptical look at some of the most promising aspects of the watch? Andrew Moore, Emergency Department Physician, University of Health and Science, Oregon, told Quartz Watch technology is "rudimentary" compared to what you get in a hospital setting. Which leaves somebody who wants to answer – well, of course, the watch at $ 399 (pre-orders for which the application was put online today) does not compare to a treatment and a diagnosis much more robust in hospitals.

We have already written about this in a previous article, but the FDA has given Apple the necessary approvals for the watch, provided that all readings are considered a guide that you would like your doctor to review. . That the readings you receive on your watch should not be considered a definitive medical diagnosis.

The Washington Post "The heartbeat naturally varies, which means that it is likely that Apple Watch or any other heart monitor can report a problem when it is not one – and send someone to run to the doctor for no reason. "

The new Apple watch is an FDA category for "low to moderate risk" devices. The risk here is the misreading of a user's heart rate, which may not be fatal as you would with a device below a higher risk category. To get its FDA clearance, Apple had to show that the device was safe and working well. Which, as you can see from the results of the study, corresponded to needs that the company could easily meet.