In addition to tracking steps, sleep patterns and heart rate, smartwatch wearables could one day be able to predict the onset of disease in the body.
The predicative abilities of smartwatches have yet to be fully realized, but researchers from the University of California at San Francisco have taken an initial step in evaluating the feasibility of the Apple Watch in detecting signs of atrial fibrillation.
“We have to be very careful about false positives and causing distress when it’s really not needed or adding to health-care costs, for example, because of unnecessary testing—which is why I do agree more refinement is needed,” said Gregory Marcus, a cardiologist at UCSF who led the work. “But it’ll be coming. It’s going to get better, and it’s going to be coming soon. This is the first heads-up: Your smartwatches have the capability of doing this, so it’s coming and it’s theoretically possible.”
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Cara joined TriMed Media in 2016 and is currently a Senior Writer for Clinical Innovation & Technology. Originating from Detroit, Michigan, she holds a Bachelors in Health Communications from Grand Valley State University.