Smartwatches Prove Effective in Diagnosing Heart Issues in Children, Stanford Study Finds
Despite being based on adult heart patterns, existing smartwatch algorithms helped diagnose arrhythmias in children, prompting further research to improve pediatric heart monitoring technology.
- A new Stanford Medicine study shows that smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch, are effective in diagnosing irregular heart rhythms in children, overcoming the limitations of traditional cardiac monitors.
- Over a four-year period, patients’ medical records mentioned “Apple Watch” 145 times. Among patients whose medical records mentioned the smartwatch, 41 had abnormal heart rhythms confirmed by traditional diagnostic methods; of these, 29 children had their arrythmias diagnosed for the first time.
- Most of the abnormal rhythms detected were not life-threatening, but they can cause distressing symptoms such as a racing heartbeat, dizziness, and fainting.
- Existing smartwatch algorithms are based on adult heart patterns and aren't optimized for kids, who have faster heartbeats and experience different types of abnormal rhythms than adults.
- The Stanford Medicine research team plans to conduct a study to further assess the utility of the Apple Watch for detecting children’s heart problems.
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