Apple is working with Stanford to test if Apple Watch can detect heart problems
If successful, the move could turn the watch into a ‘must have’ for millions of patients

By Christina Farr
Apple is working with partners to test whether its smartwatch can be used to detect common heart conditions, an effort that would make its device a “must have” for millions of people worldwide.
The company is partnering up with a group of clinicians at Stanford, as well as telemedicine vendor American Well, to test whether Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor can detect abnormal heart rhythms in a cohort of patients, according to two people familiar. The people requested anonymity as these plans have not yet been made public.
Arrhythmias, or abnormal heart rhythms, aren’t always problematic. But in some people, a condition known as atrial fibrillation can show no external symptoms while carrying a risk of blood clots, strokes and other complications.
For that reason, an Apple Watch could be a useful screening tool for high-risk patients -- if its heart rate monitor proves to be sufficiently sensitive and accurate.
“Atrial fibrillation is a common rhythm disorder and knowing someone has it is medically useful because those people might need specific treatments,” said Bob Wachter, chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco.
American Well declined to comment on its involvement with Apple. But the company’s CEO Roy Schoenberg did say that telemedicine companies are working closely with wearable makers. If a problem is detected, he said, “the best route forward is to put a health care professional out in front.”