Apple Watch Series 4 Could Feature Advanced EKG To Prevent Heart Attacks

A new report is claiming that the upcoming Apple Watch installments following this year’s Apple Watch Series 3 could come with advanced EKG heart monitors. The new feature is expected to help identify heart abnormalities and hamper the occurrence of a heart attack or stroke.

On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that the Cupertino giant is currently testing the use of Apple Watch as an EKG. The publication indicated that internal prototypes for a future model are being tested at present, so it’s safe to assume that Apple could be doing this with the Apple Watch Series 4 in mind.

The mechanism of the new feature is actually very simple. When users squeeze the frame of their Apple Watch using their free hand, the device will send a current across their chest so it can identify the presence of heart abnormalities such as irregular heart rates.

Based on the ongoing internal testing, it seems Apple is very determined to make its Apple Watch a health-centric smartwatch. Currently, the wearable sports a heart rate monitor that uses photodiode sensors and LEDs to track the flow of blood through the skin.

With the advanced EKG heart monitor, the Apple Watch could do more than just checking and monitoring heart rate. It could become a credible medical device that could alert users to take preventative measures in heart health. In effect, the new feature could help lower the chances of a heart attack or stroke.

In the medical field, electrocardiograms (EKGs and ECGs) are used in hospitals, ambulances and doctors’ offices so medical professionals could check the heart activity of patients for short periods. Hence, the tests ability to identify potential abnormalities is limited. What Apple wants to do is to provide a solution that could monitor the heart’s activity for longer periods, so that cardiac problems are detected early.

Apple Insider pointed out that the new report comes a few weeks after AlivCor’s Kardia Band EKG meter received certification from the FDA to be an Apple Watch accessory. This accessory works by providing users with an EKG reading when they place their finger on the watch band sensor pad for 30 seconds. Should Apple really push through with its EKG heart monitor for the Apple Watch though, the new accessory would be deemed unnecessary.

Apple is very eager to bring more functionality to its Apple Watch, so it’s not surprising why it’s been taking a deep interest in heart health in the recent months. Just last month, it launched its Apple Heart Study app with the goal of determining whether the Apple Watch’s existing heart rate system could be used to accurately detect irregular heart rhythms, according to MacRumors.