HYPERTENSION, SLEEP APNEOA & DIABETES: THE APPLE WATCH CAN DETECT THEM ALL WITH RESOUNDING ACCURACY

Data collected from 14,000 Apple Watch users has shown that the wearable is able to detect diabetes with an accuracy of 85% just by using the heart rate sensor. The impetus to use the Watch to see if it could accurately detect a diabetic patient came from a 2015 study conducted in the UK, which showed that resting heart rate and beat variability can be successfully used to predict both diabetes and hypertension. Previously the Apple Watch was able to detect abnormal heart rates with 97% accuracy, sleep apneoa with 90% accuracy and hypertension with 82% accuracy when paired with an AI-based algorithm. If wearables are able to detect signs of diseases, the hope is that these will enable doctors and patients to catch them earlier, and be treated before things become more serious.