Using Wearables to Manage Atrial Fibrillation: Pushing the Boundaries
with Consumer Devices
Abstract
The irregular pulse notification (IPN) algorithm on the Apple Watch
(Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA) was not designed for use by atrial
fibrillation (AF) patients. It is not FDA cleared for use in AF
patients. Before this study by Dr. Wasserlauf and colleagues, there were
no studies of its accuracy in AF patients. Yet, many AF patients could
not resist the temptation to use the feature. In the Apple Heart Study1,
even after making it clear that patients with AF were not eligible for
the study, 174 (18%) of the participants who received an irregular
pulse notification and connected with a study visit doctor confessed
that they knew they already had AF and were excluded from the study.
These participants were just too curious to pass up the opportunity to
see what the new technology was all about.