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.