Apple heart health research report shows impact of wearables

Have a care for your heart

Apple has published a report focused on some of the heart health related research projects making use of Apple Watch taking place across the world.

Apple spotlight on heart research

The company’s Investigator Support Program helps support such research by providing Apple Watch devices to teams exploring health research projects. During their research many initiatives may make use of the company’s other tools, such as ResearchKit and CareKit.

The report looks at three research projects that are taking place now, in Australia, the US and Europe.

Australian hearts

Research at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute where associate professor Rachel Conyers and Dr. Claudia Toro are researching toxicities related to children’s cancer therapies. They are exploring how cancer treatments can impact heart rhythm. Such irregularities can be life-threatening.

In the coming months, Dr. Conyers and her team at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute will begin with researching the sensitivity of the Apple Watch ECG app in 40 children and adolescent patients. The idea is that ECG data will be available from wherever patients are as the researchers seek to build understanding of cardiac toxicity and potential opportunities for intervention.

US emergency services

Dr. So-Min Cheong, an associate professor in the Public Service & Administration Department at the Bush School, Texas A&M University is exploring the social and health consequences of environmental disasters and climate change. Within that research the doctor is studying the impact of smoke on cardiac health among firefighters. The Apple Watch will be used along with air quality monitors to monitor heart rate and rhythm, sleep, blood oxygen, activity data, and more.

[Also read: The essential guide to Heart Rate Variability on Apple Watch]

It’s the first study of its kind and she believes will help build understanding toward better interventions, Dr. Cheong says, “We know wildfire smoke directly affects their health and with a study like this, they’ll be able to see their results in real time.”

AFib research in Europe

Epidemiologists believe the estimated rate of atrial fibrillation (AFib) in the European Union is expected to double by 2060. At the Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Dr. Sebastiaan Blok, director of eHealth at the Cardiology Centers of the Netherlands, and his colleagues are exploring ways to detect AFib earlier.

The researchers have developed a randomized controlled study as part of a larger initiative called HartWacht, the first reimbursable eHealth concept and will have half of their study group wearing Apple Watch for data gathering and ECG measurement. In the future, they plan to explore ways to identify possible opportunities to use the ECG app to monitor patients from home, as certain medications can alter a heart rhythm.

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