Apple Watch has improved its ECG function, and the spirit of Apple is worth learning from

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According to research data shared at the American Heart Rhythm Society meeting this week, researchers at the Mayo Clinic have created an artificial intelligence algorithm that can use a single-lead electrocardiogram taken by an Apple Watch to find patients with low effective ventricle pumping . Low effective ventricular pumping or left ventricular dysfunction currently accounts for 2% to 3% of the world's population, and up to 9% in people over the age of 60, which is almost one in 10 people over the age of 60. have this problem.

Paul Friedman, chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Mayo Clinic, said the ability of artificial intelligence to detect this condition using the ECG capabilities of consumer smartwatches is "absolutely remarkable" because it usually requires an echocardiogram , CT scan or MRI to identify.

The ECG feature on the Apple Watch is a single-lead ECG that requires the user to place their finger on the Apple Watch's digital crown for 30 seconds. Results are uploaded to the Apple Health app and can be shared with medical professionals. The ECG is designed to help detect atrial fibrillation, but the ECG feature and other features of the Apple Watch are also being investigated for use in detecting other conditions.

Currently, the standard ECG uses 12 lead wires placed on a person's chest, arms and legs to monitor electrical signals from the heart. To use the Apple Watch's single-lead ECG results, the researchers modified an existing 12-lead algorithm known to detect weakness in the heart muscle .

The study included 125,610 ECGs collected from 46 states and 11 countries over a six-month period. Each person submitted multiple ECG reports, and the cleanest readings were used for the algorithm. Several hundred participants underwent clinical tests to measure the strength of the pump, and the data was used to determine whether the Apple Watch could detect problems.

About 420 patients had a watch ECG recorded within 30 days of a clinically ordered echocardiogram or cardiac ultrasound, a standard test for measuring pump strength. The test showed an area under the curve of 0.88 for this test, meaning it was as good or slightly better than the medical treadmill test .

At present, the researchers have planned to launch a global prospective study to do further testing in more diverse populations to demonstrate the benefits of the single-lead ECG function in the Apple Watch.

In fact, the research and development of Apple's smartwatch has also shown us very important information, which is also worth learning. Once Apple has chosen a strategy, it will continue to invest in research and development. For example, smart watches, from the very beginning of Apple’s entry, have been set as the monitoring portal for the future human body and body characteristics, and the manager of the basic body and body characteristics data of the human body. Since the release of the smart watch in 2014, it has been continuously developing and investing in the field of basic medicine for 8 consecutive years.

This is very worth learning. At present, in addition to Huawei, some companies' investment in basic research and persistent R&D investment need to be strengthened. At least for now, Apple smartwatches and some of our smartwatches started around the same time, but today, 8 years later, the gap is widening because of persistence and lack of persistence.

To catch up with American technology companies, we also need to work hard in research and development.