The Apple Watch ECG feature is now available in the UK – here’s how it works

The most innovative part of the Apple Watch 4 is now available in the UK and Europe 
The Apple Watch is good for tracking your yoga skills and your heart rate rhythm
Apple Watch
Amelia Heathman28 March 2019

When Apple launched the Apple Watch Series 4 at its products keynote last year, all anyone could talk about was the device’s heart monitoring features.

Whilst other smartwatches and fitness bands can measure things like heart rate, the new Apple Watch was groundbreaking in that the device had an ECG, an electrocardiogram, which can detect heart rate rhythm and electrical activity.

At the time, the company’s COO, Jeff Williams, described the device as “an intelligent guardian for your health”.

There was one minor issue: Apple’s ECG tech hadn’t been cleared for medical usage in the UK and Europe, so only US customers were able to enjoy these high-tech medical features. That has all changed, as the ECG app and irregular rhythm notification has been CE marked, meaning it conforms with health and safety protection standards within the UK and Europe.

Here’s what you need to know about the Apple Watch ECG feature.

How the Apple Watch ECG feature works

The Apple Watch ECG feature works by capturing heart rhythm data when its wearer experiences a particular symptom, such as a rapid or skipped heartbeat.

Electrodes have been built into the back crystal and Digital Crown on the watch so all a person needs to do is launch the ECG app, and touch the Digital Crown for 30 seconds to measure their heart rhythm.

You can also set the watch to occasionally check heart rhythms in the background and send a notification if an irregular rhythm is detected, known as atrial fibrillation (AFib). This is the most common form of irregular rhythm and if untreated can result in a stroke.

The Apple Watch heart monitoring app (Apple )
Apple

According to a study, the Apple Watch 4 demonstrated 98.3 per cent sensitivity in classifying AFib.

Apple’s VP of health, Sambul Desai (MD), said in a statement: “We are confident in the ability of these features to help users have more informed conversations with their physicians. With the ECG app and irregular rhythm notification feature, customers can now better understand aspects of their heart health in a more meaningful way.”

The watch has a lot of potential. According to the Arrthythmia Alliance (AA) at least 500,000 people have undiagnosed AFib across the UK. Being able to monitor your heart rhythm with a device on your wrist is rather groundbreaking.

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