Cleveland Clinic study suggests Apple Watch app successfully detects atrial fibrillation

Jessica Kim Cohen -

A team of researchers from the Cleveland Clinic found KardiaBand, a medical app for the Apple Watch, accurately detects atrial fibrillation, a leading cause of stroke.

The FDA cleared Mountain View, Calif.-based AliveCor's electrocardiogram accessory KardiaBand in late 2017. KardiaBand, which enables users to take 30-second EKG readings, displays heart rhythm findings on the face of the Apple Watch.

The researchers from Cleveland Clinic determined KardiaBand differentiated between atrial fibrillation and normal heart rhythms with 93 percent sensitivity and 84 percent specificity, according to study results presented in March at the American College of Cardiology's 67th Annual Scientific Session in Orlando, Fla.

The study's findings reflect an accuracy level comparable to physicians interpreting the same EKGs, AliveCor officials said in a March 12 statement.

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