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Ben Sin receives the results of the results of the EKG taken via his Apple Watch 4 on his iPhone. Apple launches its EKG app in Hong Kong on Thursday, the first Asian market to have it, and another feature to detect irregular heart rhythms. Photo: Ben Sin

Apple Watch irregular heartbeat detection features debut in 19 markets including UK, Hong Kong

  • Inspired by stories such as that of Hongkonger whose Apple Watch detected his unusual heartbeat and saved his life, Apple adds new features to smartwatch
  • An app for Apple Watch 4 can perform an electrocardiograph, while an irregular heart rhythm detector is being made available for all Watch models
Apple
In April 2018 a Hong Kong man named Gaston D’Aquino was going about his day when his Apple Watch buzzed, notifying him of an unusually high heartbeat. Though the 76-year-old felt fine, he went to a hospital, where doctors hooked him up to an electrocardiograph machine that confirmed his gadget’s finding.

After further tests, doctors told D’Aquino that two of his heart’s three main coronary arteries were completely blocked. He underwent successful open-heart surgery and has since made a full recovery.

According to Apple representatives, it is stories like D’Aquino’s that inspired the US tech giant to improve the Apple Watch’s heart tracking, and today Hong Kong is the first city in Asia to receive the electrocardiogram and irregular heart rhythm features that US consumers got last December.

In addition to Hong Kong, these features also launch today in 18 other markets, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.

A user taking an EKG by placing her finger on the crown of the Apple Watch Series 4. The test takes about 30 seconds.

The electrocardiogram feature, otherwise known as EKG, is exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 4 due to the additional hardware sensor required to detect electrodes. The second feature, which detects irregular heart rhythms, is available for all Apple Watch models. It is essentially an improved version of the function that saved D’Aquino’s life, since tracking heart rhythm provides more data than just measuring heartbeat.

Both features overlap in terms of their use – they help detect atrial fibrillation, otherwise known as abnormal heart rhythm, which is a cause of stroke and heart failure; the major difference is that the EKG feature is a proactive test that requires about a minute of the user’s time, while irregular heart rhythm is detected passively by the Watch every two hours or so.

An EKG chart appears on the screen of the user’s Apple Watch Series 4.

I got the chance to test the new features ahead of today’s launch, and the process of taking an EKG with an Apple Watch Series 4 was easy. I simply had to open the EKG app (which will become available to all Watch Series 4 users in Hong Kong today), place my index finger on the device’s digital crown, and the electrode sensor embedded in the crown, along with the optical sensor located at the base of the watch, read my heart rhythm. After 30 seconds of scanning, the results will be visible on my iPhone, and the entire electrograph can be shared via email or chat apps.

The passive irregular heart rhythm detection feature uses the optical heart rate sensor that’s available on all Watch models, and Apple says it will alert the user after five consecutive problematic readings. This is to prevent false alarms.

Apple representatives were very clear in stating that these two features should not be considered diagnostic tools. They should not replace regular visits to a doctor, and are best looked at as an additional precaution.

Ben Sin tries out the EKG app. Photo: Ben Sin

Still, Apple takes the medical aspects of the features very seriously, and has conducted various clinical studies, including teaming up with Stanford Medical School in the United States to get clinical validation.

To test the irregular heart rhythm detection feature, Apple and Stanford researchers tested 420,000 volunteers, who wore the Apple Watch as normal; those who were notified of an irregular heart rhythm would contact a doctor for further tests. According to Apple, the research showed that more than 80 per cent of those who went to a doctor confirmed they suffered from atrial fibrillation.

The second clinical test, for the EKG function, involved just 600 people. Apple says it detected atrial fibrillation with an accuracy rate of more than 98 per cent.

A screenshot collecting heart rhythm history, taken from the irregular heart rhythm detection feature available from today in Hong Kong and 18 other markets for users of all Apple Watch models.

In the US, both functions have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, while in Europe they have been certified safe by the CE (Conformité Européenne). Hong Kong has no such regulatory body.

Apple reps didn’t elaborate on the company’s decision to make Hong Kong the first market in Asia to get these features, ahead of China and Macau, notably, but it is safe to say other Asian markets will get them soon enough.

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