Apple Watch can accurately determine a user’s “fragility”, according to the results of a study published recently by Stanford University (via MyHealthyApple)
/article-new/2021/03/apple-watch-ecg.jpg?resize=560%2C315&ssl=1)
Frailty can be determined using a six-minute walk test (6MWT), and the metric is a general standard used to assess a patient’s functional mobility and exercise capacity. Higher scores indicate “healthier cardiac, respiratory, circulatory and neuromuscular function,” according to Apple.
Conducted by researchers at Stanford University and funded by Apple, the study provided 110 Veterans Affairs patients with cardiovascular disease with an iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 3. Patients underwent regular six-minute walk tests at home, which were compared to standard in – clinical performance 6MWT.
The study found that an Apple Watch was able to accurately assess fragility with a sensitivity of 90 percent and specificity of 85 percent when supervised in a clinical setting. When assessed in an unsupervised home environment, the Apple Watch was able to accurately assess fragility with a sensitivity of 83 percent and specificity of 60 percent.
The results indicate that the passive activity data collected by the Apple Watch is an accurate indicator of the performance of the 6MWT in the clinic.
In this longitudinal observational study, passive activity data acquired by an iPhone and Apple Watch were an accurate predictor of the performance of the 6MWT in the clinic. This finding suggests that frailty and functional capacity can be monitored and assessed remotely in patients with cardiovascular diseases, allowing for safer monitoring and with greater resolution of patients.
While the study used a specially developed application called “VascTrac” to gather 6MWT data along with activity data collected passively from the Apple Watch, Apple included a series of new mobility-related health metrics in watchOS 7, including the 6MWT. Preliminary data from studies like this is likely to have encouraged Apple to add metrics to watchOS 7.
The survey may urge healthcare providers to offer a home assessment of functional capacity in patients with cardiovascular disease using an Apple Watch.