Mayo Researchers Use AI to Detect Weak Heart Pump Via Patients’ Apple Watch ECGs

Single-lead ECG tracings from an Apple Watch interpreted by an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm developed at Mayo Clinic (@MayoClinic) effectively identified patients with a weak heart pump.

Patients were enrolled by email in a decentralized, prospective study. Then they downloaded an app that securely transferred watch ECGs in the background. Study participation was high, demonstrating the possibility for a scalable tool to be developed to screen and monitor heart patients for this condition wherever they are.

The study abstract was presented as late-breaking research at the Heart Rhythm Society conference on Sunday, May 1.

“Left ventricular dysfunction — a weak heart pump — afflicts 2% to 3% of people globally and up to 9% of people over age 60. It may have no symptoms, or be associated with shortness of breath, leg swelling or racing heart beats. What is important is that once we know a weak heart pump is present, there are many lifesaving and symptom-preventing treatments available. It is absolutely remarkable that AI transforms a consumer watch ECG signal into a detector of this condition, which would normally require an expensive, sophisticated imaging test, such as an echocardiogram, CT scan or MRI,” says Paul Friedman, M.D., chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

Watch: Dr. Paul Friedman discusses AI to detect weak heart pump.