Future Apple Watch Models May Feature a Built-In EKG Heart Monitor
Future versions of the Apple Watch could feature a built-in EKG Heart Monitor that can be used to better track heart health. That’s according to a new report from Bloomberg.
The report details more about how the functionality might work:
A version being tested requires users to squeeze the frame of the Apple Watch with two fingers from the hand that’s not wearing the device, one of the people said. It then passes an imperceptible current across the person’s chest to track electrical signals in the heart and detect any abnormalities like irregular heart rates. Such conditions can increase the risk of strokes and heart failure and develop in about one-quarter of people over 40, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Current Apple Watch models can track heart rate, but EKG reading would provide an even more comprehensive look at heart health.
In late November, Apple announce a new partnership with Stanford for a new Heart Study and companion app.
For anyone who enrolls in the study, Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor to collect data on irregular heart rhythms. In doing so, it can notify users who may be experiencing atrial fibrillation, or AFib.
