Apple Watch aids heart research

The wearable is expanding how scientists study the heart.

Author

Leander Kahney
February 21, 2023

I use my Apple Watch’s heart-monitoring feature almost daily when working out.

But I have to admit, I rarely open the ECG app, despite it being one of the Watch’s key features. My heart is in pretty good shape; how many times do I need to check that my normal sinus rhythm is still good?

Likewise my blood oxygen level. I hardly ever check it, though I did when I was recently sick with COVID-19. (I found it very reassuring that it never dipped to worrisome levels.)

Although I personally neglect these important features, the medical research community does not.

Apple just released a report documenting some of the innovative ways the Apple Watch is contributing to cutting-edge heart health research.

The wearable is getting plenty of use in medical studies and has proven to be an invaluable way to gather data in the field. Check the top post for details.

Also in today's newsletter:

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

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One more thing...

❝

Things happen fairly slowly, you know. They do. These waves of technology, you can see them way before they happen, and you just have to choose wisely which ones you're going to surf. If you choose unwisely, then you can waste a lot of energy, but if you choose wisely it actually unfolds fairly slowly. It takes years. One of our biggest insights [years ago] was that we didn't want to get into any business where we didn't own or control the primary technology because you'll get your head handed to you.

— Steve Jobs, 2008.

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