Apple launches its Heart Study to identify irregular heart rhythm

Apple announced the launch of its previously stated Heart Study with the release of the Heart Study app. The Apple Heart Study app is an innovative research study that uses data from Apple Watch to identify irregular heart rhythms, including those from potentially serious heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation (AFib). This study is being conducted in collaboration with Stanford Medicine to accelerate discovery in heart science.

Anyone who is 22 years or older, resident of US and owns an apple watch series 1 or newer can download the app. As a part of study, the app will collect data throughout the day, and monitor your heart rate and rhythm. It notifies you on your iPhone and apple watch, if an irregularity is detected .

After the notification, you’ll receive a free video consultation on your iPhone with the study’s medical professionals for further analysis. - The video consultation connects you with a board-certified, licensed primary care provider- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In some cases, you will also receive a BioTelemetry electrocardiogram (ECG) patch for additional monitoring. The patch is mailed to study participants at no cost, and required to be worn for 7 days. The data will be analyzed to see if patient is suffering from Afib or other problems of irregular rhythm.

“Through the Apple Heart Study, Stanford Medicine faculty will explore how technology like Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor can help usher in a new era of proactive health care central to our Precision Health approach,” said Lloyd Minor, Dean of Stanford University School of Medicine. “We’re excited to work with Apple on this breakthrough heart study.”

To monitor and calculate the rate and rhythm, Apple Watch’s sensor uses LED lights flashing hundreds of times per second and light-sensitive photodiodes to detect the amount of blood flowing through the wrist as an indicator of the heart’s activity. The data gathered along with Apple’s powerful software algorithms identifies an irregular heart rhythm.

This method which is also used in other wearables, is considered less sensitive than ECG sensors. So, the ability of Apple watch to detect arrhythmias would be a giant leap in wearables market.

Recently, AlivCor has launched FDA approved KardiaBand, a single-lead ECG device for the Apple Watch.

Press release from Apple

Download the app here

Media Courtesy: Apple 

FDA clears KardiaBand: World’s first personal on the go EKG on your wrist

AliveCor announced FDA clearance of the KardiaBand single-lead ECG device for the Apple Watch. AliveCor are the pioneers in field of personal EKG technology. It’s now easy to keep a watch on your heart simply by wearing this device around your wrist. Pairing with the expertise and artificial intelligence of Apple Watch, Kardiaband can detect sinus heart rhythm and atrial fibrillation(Afib) discreetly in just 30 seconds by simply a touch of the button.

KardiaBand is a self-contained, FDA-cleared, miniaturized ECG device.

The results are displayed on the apple watch. The Kardia app pairs with SmartRhythm, a new feature within the Kardia app, and receives continuous inputs about the heart rate, rhythm and physical activity from Apple Watch's activity sensors. Using a FDA-cleared analysis algorithm, it can sense if something is not normal and notifies the user to capture an EKG. The Kardia’s ECG analysis algorithm also identifies if the ECG is normal or not. The captured EKG can be mailed to a healthcare provider.

The diagnostic yield is at par to a 14-day ambulatory event monitor and Holter monitor.

Physicians can use KardiaBand for arrhythmia assessment, managing patients with AFib, diagnosing AFib early in high risk patients and patient management of cardiac risk factors.

"KardiaBand paired with SmartRhythm technology will be life-changing for people who are serious about heart health," said Vic Gundotra, CEO, AliveCor. "These capabilities will allow people to easily and discreetly check their heart rhythms when they may be abnormal, capturing essential information to help doctors identify the issue and inform a clear path of care to help manage AFib, a leading cause of stroke, and other serious conditions."

AFib affects nearly 30 million people round the globe, with 1 in 4 people more than 40 years at risk of developing it. It is leading cause of stroke and 2 out of 3 strokes are preventable if detected and managed on time.  

Dr. Ronald P. Karlsberg, MD FACC, Board Certified Cardiologist and Clinical Professor of Medicine, Cedars Sinai Heart Institute and David Geffen School of Medicine UCLA said, "This is a paradigm shift for cardiac care as well as an important advance in healthcare."

"Today, EKGs are available only in offices and hospitals, using complex equipment, and usually only after a life-threatening event, for example a stroke. With an EKG device on the wrist, AFib can be detected wherever the patient is, 24 hours a day. In randomized research trials, KardiaMobile, the first AliveCor EKG device, proved to be superior to routine care provided by physicians. Today, KardiaBand is a giant leap in personalized health care," he added.

People all around the world would be benefitted by AliveCor, because it provides peace of mind by providing important diagnostic tool and communication between the patient and cardiologist.  

The device runs on an internal lithium battery with a lifetime of 1-2 years, the sensor in KardiaBand is always ready to use - with the recording screen open on your Apple Watch, simply touch your index finger to the KardiaBand sensor to start a recording. 

KardiaBand is available starting today for $199 and requires subscription to AliveCor's Premium service for $99 a year. The combined system includes SmartRhythm notifications on Apple Watch; unlimited EKG recordings; automatic detection of Atrial Fibrillation or normal sinus rhythm; the unlimited ability to send EKG readings to anyone via email; unlimited cloud history and reporting of all EKGs ever taken; weight and medication tracking; and a mailed monthly paper report on readings taken each calendar month.

If you do not have Apple Watch, you can still use Kardia to record EKG on your mobile. The basic service and Kardia app for mobile costs $99 as compared to KardiaBand which costs $199.

AliveCor
News Release

All Media: AliveCor