The Gentleman Magazine Issue 14 | April 2019 | Page 76

ECG APP AND IRREGULAR HEART RHYTHM
NOTIFICATION AVAILABLE ON APPLE WATCH
Starting today, the ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 marks
a direct-to-consumer product that enables customers to
take an electrocardiogram right from their wrist, capturing
heart rhythm in a moment when they experience symptoms
like a rapid or skipped heart beat and helping to provide
critical data to physicians. The feature is now available in 19
European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain
and the United Kingdom. The ECG app and irregular rhythm
notification are now CE marked and cleared in the European
Economic Area. The irregular rhythm notification feature on
Apple Watch can now also occasionally check heart rhythms
in the background and send a notification if an irregular
heart rhythm that appears to be atrial fibrillation (AFib) is
identified. In the US, Apple worked with the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for a number of years to receive De
Novo classification for the ECG app and the irregular heart
rhythm notification, making the features available over the
counter. The ECG app and irregular rhythm notification are
now CE marked and cleared in the European Economic Area.
Available today as part of a free update to watchOS 5.2, the
ECG app1 and irregular heart rhythm notification feature2
will help users identify signs of AFib, the most common form
of irregular rhythm. When left untreated, AFib is one of the
leading conditions that can result in stroke, the second most
common cause of death around the world. The AF Association
estimates there are around 1.5 million people in the UK
living with atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm
problem, but a third of these people may be unaware of this.
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“Apple Watch has helped so many people around the world
and we are humbled that it has become such an important
part of our customers’ lives,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief
operating officer. “With the release of these heart features,
Apple Watch takes the next step in empowering people with
more information about their health.”
“We are confident in the ability of these features to help users
have more informed conversations with their physicians,” said
Sumbul Desai, MD, Apple’s vice president of Health. “With the
ECG app and irregular rhythm notification feature, customers
can now better understand aspects of their heart health in a
more meaningful way.”
ECG App
New electrodes built into the back crystal and Digital Crown
on Apple Watch Series 4 work together with the ECG app
to enable customers to take an ECG similar to a single-lead
reading. To take an ECG recording at any time or following
an irregular rhythm notification, users launch the new ECG
app on Apple Watch Series 4 and hold their finger on the
Digital Crown. As the user touches the Digital Crown, the
circuit is completed and electrical signals across their heart are
measured. After 30 seconds, the heart rhythm is classified as
either AFib, sinus rhythm or inconclusive. All recordings, their
associated classifications and any noted symptoms are stored
securely in the Health app on iPhone. Users can share a PDF of
the results with physicians.
, Security in Motion”