Apple Watch Could Check for Heart Attack Symptoms, Research Suggests
The Apple Watch could be used to check for symptoms of a heart attack (myocardial infarction), research published in the Texas Heart Institute Journal suggests (via MyHealthyApple).

Myocardial infarction occurs when parts of the heart muscle do not receive enough oxygen because there is a block in the blood flow to the heart. Researchers from the Texas Heart Institute have been studying using the Apple Watch to help diagnose myocardial infarction symptoms using the electrocardiogram (ECG) feature on Apple Watch Series 4, 5, 6, and 7 models to record multiple ECG leads on different parts of the body.
Outcomes following a heart attack depend on how long before treatment begins. More than half of individuals with myocardial infarction die in an emergency room or before reaching a hospital within an hour of the onset of symptoms. The Apple Watch could provide a reliable analysis of heart attack risk when symptoms develop, send a clear signal to the user to seek urgent medical attention, and reduce the delay to get treatment, the research suggests.
Medical professionals usually confirm myocardial infarction using a traditional 12-lead electrocardiogram that requires specific equipment and professional training, while the Apple Watch uses a positive electrode on the back of the device and a negative electrode on the Digital Crown to record a single-lead ECG. As such, the Apple Watch could not replace hospital-grade medical equipment, but provide a new screening tool for other environments.
The researchers claim that the Apple Watch shows promise for detecting myocardial infarction as multiple studies have shown that the device can record multiple-lead ECG signals that accurately detect the ST change during a heart attack. Additional clinical data is required, but the ongoing research provides a glance at one of the new health-monitoring capabilities that could one day be an official Apple Watch feature.
Popular Stories
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums.
CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models The source of this rumor is ...
Apple today announced that its 34th annual Worldwide Developers Conference will take place from Monday, June 5 to Friday, June 9. Like WWDC 2020, 2021, and 2022, WWDC 2023 will be an online event for the most part, and it will be open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple will provide online sessions and labs, which will allow...
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are rumored to feature a customizable Action button like the Apple Watch Ultra, according to a MacRumors forum member who leaked accurate details about the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro models last year.
The source claimed the Action button will replace the Ring/Silent switch that has been included on every iPhone model since 2007. They did not...
Apple today released iOS 16.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 16 operating system that initially came out last September. iOS 16.4 comes two months after the launch of iOS 16.3, an update that added Security Keys for Apple ID.
iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes...
Apple today published a support document explaining why it decided to release a standalone Apple Music Classical app for classical music.
In short, Apple says the app was designed to support classical music's complex metadata:Classical music is different. It has longer and more detailed titles, multiple artists for each work, and hundreds of recordings of well-known pieces. The Apple Music...
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a day after the launch of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4.
Registered developers can opt in to the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to Software Update, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option and toggling on the iOS 16 Developer Beta. Note that an...
Apple has made the option to upgrade to new Home architecture available again with the release of iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, and macOS Ventura 13.3, after it temporarily pulled the update in December.
After updating Apple devices to the latest software, users can once again opt to upgrade any homes set up in the Home app to the new Home architecture, which Apple says brings faster, more reliable ...
Top Rated Comments
Clearly, you need several leads to fully diagnose the problem, but one is enough to become aware of it in the first place.
I never once thought of it as a doctor on my wrist, but rather an additional tool.