A smartwatch is not only a convenient way to check emails, it can also warn you if you are at risk for heart failure.
Heart failure affects up to one in 50 people in the UK, with around 200,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
But the majority of people are diagnosed late, which can lead to kidney damage and complications such as anemia because the condition is missed.
Now a study suggests there may be a telltale early warning sign of heart failure that a smartwatch can detect.
People whose heartbeats are too close together, indicating a different electrical pattern in the lower chambers of the heart, are about twice as likely to have heart failure, the study of more than 83,000 people found.
A smartwatch user only needs to look for 15 seconds to see if one of their heartbeats – the high vertical peaks in the ECG pattern – are getting too close together
Importantly, according to the study authors, this abnormality can be picked up using an ECG on a smartwatch.
A smartwatch user only has to look for 15 seconds to see if one of their heartbeats – the high vertical peaks in the ECG pattern – are getting too close together, with the peak consisting of two separate vertical lines like an inverted ‘V ‘.
About one in 50 middle-aged people has an irregular heartbeat every 15 seconds, the study suggests.
These are often completely normal, but in some cases they can be a sign of an increased risk of heart failure.
Knowing this, middle-aged people can ask their GP to check their heart more closely.
Dr. Michele Orini, of the Institute of Cardiovascular Science at University College London, led the study that looked at middle-aged people’s ECG results and their risk of developing heart problems later on.
He said: ‘Smart watches hold an exciting future in helping people spot emerging heart problems early so that those at greater risk of heart failure can take steps such as exercising more and improving their diet.
‘It is so important to detect disorders early, and technology can help with that.’
The study, published in the European Heart Journal – Digital Health, looked at 83,340 people aged 50 to 70 who underwent a 15-second EKG using electrodes placed on their bodies.
However, study authors say the readout is similar to what would be produced by a smartwatch, which has a sensor to detect heartbeats.
The study results also provide further evidence that smart watches can signal a person’s risk of an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, which can lead to dizziness and shortness of breath.
While premature ventricular contractions — beats close together in the lower chambers of the heart — were associated with heart failure, premature atrial contractions — beats close together in the upper heart chambers — were associated with about twice the risk of atrial fibrillation.
Researchers know this by looking at people’s medical records for up to 11 years after their EKG to see if they developed heart problems.
Heartbeats that are abnormally close together in an EKG are clearly visible on smartwatches.
While a premature ventricular contraction looks like two inverted V’s close together, an atrial contraction shows two vertical lines close together.
However, scientists want smart watch manufacturers to provide real warnings to people so they don’t have to interpret the patterns themselves.
Heartbeats are too close together when the electrical signals that cause the beats are in the wrong part of the heart or take the wrong path through the heart.
If this happens once every 15 seconds, it could happen thousands of times a day, and experts believe this puts stress on the heart, which can contribute to heart failure or atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation is linked to a five-fold increased risk of stroke.
Smart watches have previously been found to detect atrial fibrillation, but there was less evidence for heart failure.
The new study also found a small additional risk, in people whose heartbeats were too close together, of a condition called life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia.
As with the other heart conditions, it is also possible for heartbeats to become too close together as an early stage of more serious heart conditions.
However, experts warn that their EKGs are less accurate than those from general practitioners.
People with at least one premature heartbeat every 15 seconds tend to be older and more overweight.
The greater risk of heart failure and atrial fibrillation in people with this abnormality was found even when such factors were taken into account.
The study found that men with premature ventricular contractions were a third more likely to die.