Stanford University has published the results of a new study on the Apple Watch and iPhone focused on the functional mobility of patients with cardiovascular diseases. The data suggest that the iPhone and Apple Watch can accurately assess “fragility”, both in the clinic and at home.
As first seen by MyHealthyApple, the study was funded by Apple and consisted of 110 Veterans Affairs patients using an iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 3. Data was collected through a study application, VascTrac, as well as activity data collected passively.
The study used the six-minute walk test score, or 6MWT. This was added to watchOS 7 and described as a “gold standard for assessing a patient’s functional mobility”. The 6MWT is a common measure of weakness in the health sector. Higher scores on the 6MWT are indicative of “healthier cardiac, respiratory, circulatory and neuromuscular function,” according to Apple.
In the study, patients underwent regular six-minute walk tests at home and then compared these results with their performance at the clinic for the same test.
The weekly home 6MWTs were carried out using the VascTrac application. The application passively collected activity data, such as daily step counts. Logistic regression with selection of advanced resources was used to assess the 6MWT at home and passive data as predictors of “frailty” as measured by the gold standard supervised 6MWT. Fragility was defined as walking <300m on a 6MWT in the clinic.
The study found that an Apple Watch can accurately assess fragility with a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 85% in a clinical setting. In an unsupervised environment, the Apple Watch can accurately assess fragility with a sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 60%.
The study, therefore, comes to the conclusion that the iPhone and Apple Watch can serve as an accurate predictor of frailty based on the performance of the 6MWT. The study’s conclusion explains:
In this longitudinal observational study, the passive activity data acquired by an iPhone and an 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.
You can find the complete results of the study here.
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